It's sad and tragic that he felt the need to end it by his own hand, and that he had felt depressed for decades. I feel great sadness for him, for the fact he felt so alone, even though there were people around him that loved him immensely, he still felt the way he did. I hope that neither myself or you ever have those feelings of complete loss and sadness.

I've had friends that have committed suicide, and though, yes, it shouldn't be the answer, sometimes the person in the deep, dark despair they feel they don't believe that they will ever get out. They believe that the only way to end the melancholy they feel is to take themselves out of this life.