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Raymond Stark

Following a heart attack in April 2022, veteran and retired toolmaker Raymond Stark (1936-2023) was on hospice for months, wishing he had access to medical aid in dying in New York state. He died on March 5, 2023, without the option he desperately wanted and advocated for.

“I want this bill to pass in New York state, even though it’s unlikely to happen before I die. But if I can’t help myself, maybe I can help somebody else. I’m not the last person who’s going to be in this position.”

The following excerpt is from the op-ed, “Dying New Yorkers deserve a peaceful end with medical aid,” by Raymond Stark that first appeared in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise on November 5, 2022.

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, I’m in this spot in my hospital bed, just waiting for the axe to fall and the end to come.

I’ve spent my whole adult life as an independent New Yorker. I worked for decades as a toolmaker for different companies and built my home myself. I did a lot of hunting and fishing. Well into my 80s, I lived independently, doing my own cooking and shopping.

Now I’m 86 and I’m dying. I strongly believe I should have the ability to decide what the end of my life looks like. It’s not for someone else to tell me I have to stay in this bed waiting around for the next heart attack. I want to go quickly and painlessly.

Following a heart attack in April 2022, veteran and retired toolmaker Raymond Stark has been on hospice for months, wishing he had access to medical aid in dying in New York state.