Since creating my first post on this subject, I have become aware of many more examples of untimely deaths of sons, toxic legacies and parents who outlive their children.
Alexander Mosley, the elder son of Formula One chief Max Mosley, was found dead in 2009. A drugs overdose - accidental or deliberate - was discovered to be the cause. Alexander Mosley was said to be a maths genius and a fragile person. He inherited the poisonous legacy of British Fascism and had a notorious father and grandfather.
L. Ron Hubbard’s oldest son Quentin died at the age of 22 after being found in a coma in his car. His death is believed to be suicide. He inherited the poisonous legacy of Scientology and had a notorious father.
Robert Maxwell, the notorious media tycoon, died mysteriously. One of his sons died tragically:
“…his eldest son, Michael, was severely injured in 1961 (at the age of 15), after being driven home from a post-Christmas party when his driver fell asleep at the wheel. Michael never regained consciousness and died seven years later."
- From Wiki.
Alexander Mosley, the elder son of Formula One chief Max Mosley, was found dead in 2009. A drugs overdose - accidental or deliberate - was discovered to be the cause. Alexander Mosley was said to be a maths genius and a fragile person. He inherited the poisonous legacy of British Fascism and had a notorious father and grandfather.
L. Ron Hubbard’s oldest son Quentin died at the age of 22 after being found in a coma in his car. His death is believed to be suicide. He inherited the poisonous legacy of Scientology and had a notorious father.
Robert Maxwell, the notorious media tycoon, died mysteriously. One of his sons died tragically:
“…his eldest son, Michael, was severely injured in 1961 (at the age of 15), after being driven home from a post-Christmas party when his driver fell asleep at the wheel. Michael never regained consciousness and died seven years later."
- From Wiki.
J. M. Barrie had no children of his own, but befriended and informally adopted the five Llewelyn Davies boys. He outlived two of them: the oldest son was killed in action at the age of 22, the other drowned in what may have been a suicide pact when he was 21. Of the remaining three, one committed suicide when he was 63.
Mark Twain outlived three of his four children. His only son died of diphtheria when still a baby.
John Kennedy Junior did not die before his father, but his death may be yet another sacrifice of a son. I was in Washington when his plane went missing. I remember very well the shock and disbelief people felt when his death was announced. It made me understand why people prefer to believe that such deaths are caused by murder or sabotage as opposed to accidents: “If it could happen to someone like that, it could happen to anyone; if it could happen to anyone, it could happen to me.”
The younger son of the ex-Shah of Iran killed himself, reportedly after a long battle with depression.
Lord Rogers is considered one of the greatest architects of the age: his designs include the Millennium Dome and the Pompidou Centre. His son drowned in a bath while on holiday in Italy. The death has been attributed to natural causes.
Two of the film actor and soldier Richard Todd’s four sons committed suicide, as incidentally did his mother.
Too much too soon in the form of inherited wealth and position, being unable to cope with living in the shadow of a famous – or infamous - father’s reputation are commonly given reasons for such tragedies.
Accidents do happen, chance exists and depression causes people to believe that there is no hope for the future and only one way out. Some tragic incidents are written off as just being part of life: "stuff happens".
There may be other factors at work though. I have written about this in my first article on sacrificed sons.
Mark Twain outlived three of his four children. His only son died of diphtheria when still a baby.
John Kennedy Junior did not die before his father, but his death may be yet another sacrifice of a son. I was in Washington when his plane went missing. I remember very well the shock and disbelief people felt when his death was announced. It made me understand why people prefer to believe that such deaths are caused by murder or sabotage as opposed to accidents: “If it could happen to someone like that, it could happen to anyone; if it could happen to anyone, it could happen to me.”
The younger son of the ex-Shah of Iran killed himself, reportedly after a long battle with depression.
Lord Rogers is considered one of the greatest architects of the age: his designs include the Millennium Dome and the Pompidou Centre. His son drowned in a bath while on holiday in Italy. The death has been attributed to natural causes.
Two of the film actor and soldier Richard Todd’s four sons committed suicide, as incidentally did his mother.
Too much too soon in the form of inherited wealth and position, being unable to cope with living in the shadow of a famous – or infamous - father’s reputation are commonly given reasons for such tragedies.
Accidents do happen, chance exists and depression causes people to believe that there is no hope for the future and only one way out. Some tragic incidents are written off as just being part of life: "stuff happens".
There may be other factors at work though. I have written about this in my first article on sacrificed sons.
J. M. Barrie playing Captain Hook and Michael Llewellyn Davis, who later drowned himself, playing Peter Pan in 1906:
