It has been 110 years since Dr. Aloysius Alzheimer first described the disease that was subsequently named for him. His patient, Auguste Deter, had exhibited memory loss, erratic behavior and language problems. In the autopsy he performed after her death he noted unusual characteristics in her brain including clumps and tangled bundles of fibers (now referred to as plaques and tangles and recognized as main features in Alzheimer’s).

Today, Mrs. Deter, who was only 55 years old when she died, would have been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, which accounts for less than ten percent of all cases. By definition, Alzheimer’s occurs at age 65 or older.

Emil Kraepelin, a German psychiatrist who had worked with Dr. Alzheimer, first used the term “Alzheimer’s disease” in 1910 in the eighth edition of his book, “Psychiatrie.” But it was not until 1976 that Dr. Robert Katzman, a San Diego neurologist, brought public attention to the disease when he identified Alzheimer’s as the most prevalent form of dementia and proposed that it was not a normal part of aging.

Interestingly, it was actress Rita Hayworth who became the first public face of Alzheimer’s. For years, her friends had been in denial and blamed her erratic behavior on her drinking. She was diagnosed in 1979 and died in 1987 at the age of 68. The publicity surrounding her life and death had the positive effect of de-stigmatizing this often-misunderstood disease. In the 1980’s, the first National Alzheimer’s Disease Month was declared (November 1983) and the National Institute on Aging established a network for Alzheimer’s research nationwide. In 1993, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first Alzheimer’s drug, Cognex. Former President Ronald Reagan’s announcement of his diagnosis in 1994 not only greatly increased public awareness, but was also the impetus for a dramatic increase in funding for research. In his statement, he noted that he was “one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Alzheimer’s is generally ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in our country today, although some sources list it as high as third. Its victims include Hollywood stars, politicians, sports legends, writers, painters, and well-known and unsung heroes. Here are just a few of these men and women, and the age at which they died.

• Norman Rockwell, beloved American painter whose illustrations are now frequently used in dementia therapy due to their nostalgic qualities, age 84.
• B. White, accomplished writer and editor who penned “Charlotte’s Web,” age 86.
• Sugar Ray Robinson, legendary boxer, age 67.
• James Stewart, actor best known for his roles in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” and “It’s a Wonderful Life,” age 89.
• Barry Goldwater, five-term senator from Arizona and Presidential candidate, age 89
• Arlene Francis, panelist on What’s My Line? for 25 years, age 93
• Perry Como, popular singer of the 1950s and 1960s, with hits such as “Catch a Falling Star” and “Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom),” age 88.
• Rosa Parks, the “Mother of Freedom” who was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, launching the Civil Rights movement, age 92.
• Charlton Heston, who starred as Moses and Ben Hur on the big screen, age 84.
• Etta James, known as “the matriarch of R & B” whose recording “At Last” became her signature song, age 73.
• Glen Campbell, a renowned singer, guitarist and songwriter who rleased over 70 albums during his five decades career, including 12 gold albums, age 81
• Boyd Wright, a consummate farmer and my amazing dad, age 91.

Long and productive lives…an end that no one would choose; but before that end, long and productive lives.