The sun is setting on an era

This was posted on Jeff Cooper's Commentaries:

Several months ago Jeff suffered three new fractures of his vertebrae. This has caused him severe and constant pain and he has been unable to do anything but concentrate on pain relief - this is why there have been no Commentaries since Vol. 14, No. 4, April/May, 2006.
The doctors suggested kyphoplasty, a procedure to separate the spine at the fracture sites and relieve the pain - unfortunately, this does not normally work on old fractures, or it would have been done a long time ago.

Jeff went into the hospital with the goal of getting prepped for having this procedure done, but the doctors pronounced that he is not strong enough to have it done. As it stands now, Jeff has a partially collapsed lung and has been on oxygen for several months, and additionally his heart is now showing signs of distress.

On Wednesday 13 Sept, Jeff came home from the hospital and hospice care has been arranged to assist Janelle and the family with Jeff's care. While Jeff is alert and in good spirits it is likely he will will not be out of bed much in the future. Right now everyones' focus is on keeping him as comfortable as possible.

While phone calls are not a good idea, cards and short letters for both Jeff and Janelle would be greatly appreciated. The family has asked that flowers not be sent.
You can send cards and letters to them at

Jeff Cooper
2950 W Gunsite Rd
Paulden, AZ 86334-4301
USA

If you want to write to Jeff you should do it sooner rather than later. People are sent home from the hospital and placed into the care of hospice when there is nothing left to do but give them a comfortable death.

Col. Cooper is as responsible as anyone on the planet for bringing the science of real world defensive handgunning out of the "shoot from the hip with a revolver" era and into the modern "use the sights and carry a major caliber automatic" era.

Although he did not stay as current as he might have on matters relating to handgunning his commentaries on political and social issues as well as hunting were always welcome and very much worth reading.

Hat Tip: Shooting the Messengers