Steve Jobs knew his time was short, focused on family first

Posted:
in General Discussion edited March 2020
After years of battling complications arising from his initial bout with cancer, Steve Jobs learned in February that his time was finally running out. In his final months, he surrounded himself with those most important to him: his wife and his children.

For the past few months, Jobs had been the recipient of numerous calls and attempted visits to his Palo Alto, Calif., home, as whispers spread of his worsening condition, The New York Times reported in an intimate piece on the Apple co-founder.

Steve Jobs had quietly shared with a few of his closest friends that he thought his time was becoming short. In the final days leading up to his death this past Wednesday, there was an incessant stream of phone calls from well-wishers.

Jobs' wife, Laurene, fielded most of the calls, and in the final weeks had confided in one caller that the former Apple chief was too weak to climb the stairs of his own house. She apologized to friends, saying that Jobs only had so much energy for farewells.

"He was aware that his time on earth was limited," close friend Dr. Dean Ornish said. "He wanted control of what he did with the choices that were left."

Most of that time was spent with his family, the report noted. When Jobs was able to make it to Apple, he would finish his work for the day and immediately return home for dinner with his wife and children.

Steve Jobs tribute outside home
Flowers and Apples left outside Steve Jobs' home in Palo Alto. Credit: Peter DaSilva/The New York Times.


Because of his extreme secrecy, there is little known as to how Jobs' wealth will be distributed. Many wealthy business leaders leave their estates to foundations or charity, but there has been no news on how Jobs planned to mete out his roughly $7 billion fortune.

"Everyone always wanted a piece of Steve," an acquaintance told the Times. "He created all these layers to protect himself from the fan boys and other peoples' expectations and the distractions that have destroyed so many other companies."

Jobs' home was surrounded by security guards in the months leading to his death, with two black SUV's blocking his driveway. On Thursday, the two vehicles were removed, to be replaced by flowers, candles and apples from visitors.

In a Time magazine interview, Jobs' biographer Walter Isaacson asked him why he had consented to a biography, given how private he was. Jobs replied, "I wanted my kids to know me," adding that he hadn't always been there for them and he wanted them to "know why and to understand" what he did.

Steve Jobs


Jobs gave some insight into his thoughts on "why" in his 2005 commencement speech at Stanford.

"Death is very likely the single best invention of life," he said. "It is life's change agent."

The benefit of death is that it allows you to not waste life living someone else's choices, Jobs went on to explain, adding that the most important thing to have is "the courage to follow your heart and intuition."

Near the end, Jobs turned his words into practice, choosing to concentrate on his family and those that depended on him.

"Steve's concerns these last few weeks were for people who depended on him: the people who worked for him at Apple and his four children and his wife," said Mona Simpson, Jobs' sister. "His tone was tenderly apologetic at the end. He felt terrible that he would have to leave us."

Little is known of Steve Jobs' personal life, and he wanted it that way. His obsession with secrecy continued until the day he died, but perhaps, in death, he will be better understood. His biography will be released in two weeks, and Time has released a special issue to commemorate the Apple co-founder.

Jobs' acquaintance, speaking to the Times in anonymity, may have put it best: "Once you're gone, you belong to the world."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 42
    charlitunacharlituna Posts: 7,217member
    It's times like these that we see the true character of people. Because a true 'close friend' would still value Steve's desire for privacy even after his death and said nothing. Same for his family.



    And we can see the type of respect different media had for him, while they get their piece of him.
  • Reply 2 of 42
    Oh god, reading that... I'm so very saddened again. I'm going to start ballin' like a baby.
  • Reply 3 of 42
    galbigalbi Posts: 968member
    Just curious: since he died of a rare form of pancreatic cancer ( and we know most cancers are hereditary), does that mean his kids have a higher chance of contracting the same thing?



    How sad.
  • Reply 4 of 42
    Who we are, who we admire, who we view as heroes, says a lot about who we are as a society. I think it is kind of sad that Steve Jobs is considered such a hero. Has the technology he brought to us made our lives so much better? I don't think so. Yes, it is cool. Steve represents the false belief that we Americans love to hold on to "anyone can be Steve Jobs if they just work hard enough." How sad and untrue. Good for Steve. I just hope in those final moments he really had something that mattered to him beyond ego and wealth....it is a nice title for an article, but is it true?
  • Reply 5 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paulweller61 View Post


    Who we are, who we admire, who we view as heroes, says a lot about who we are as a society. I think it is kind of sad that Steve Jobs is considered such a hero. Has the technology he brought to us made our lives so much better? I don't think so. Yes, it is cool. Steve represents the false belief that we Americans love to hold on to "anyone can be Steve Jobs if they just work hard enough." How sad and untrue. Good for Steve. I just hope in those final moments he really had something that mattered to him beyond ego and wealth....it is a nice title for an article, but is it true?



    [Deleted; not worth it, and don't feel up to it]
  • Reply 6 of 42
    boredumbboredumb Posts: 1,418member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Galbi View Post


    Just curious: since he died of a rare form of pancreatic cancer ( and we know most cancers are hereditary), does that mean his kids have a higher chance of contracting the same thing?



    How sad.



    I apologize for in any way encouraging this otherwise heart-felt thread to veer in this direction, but, according to The American Cancer Society, "only about 5% to 10% of all cancers are inherited."



    So, we really _don't_ "know that most cancers are hereditary".

    I don't think we need to entertain unneeded worries in this regard about the rest of his family.



    http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerC...ity-and-cancer
  • Reply 7 of 42
    If you think the term, Hero, is defined by Sacrifice in War, then you have a very limited understanding of the construct.



    If you think it is defined by Sacrifice in Peace, then you have a limited but greater understanding of the construct, relative to War.



    If you need it explained that Inspiration is soul of a Hero then you are beneath any attempt at reason.



    For his sister to convey, ``His tone was tenderly apologetic at the end. He felt terrible that he would have to leave us,'' speaks volumes to me how much his very essence was embodied in all that he envisioned for every project he oversaw.



    He has nothing to feel terrible about. The world is a far better place having his presence make such a lasting change to the evolution of society.
  • Reply 8 of 42
    he's commiment to what he loved is what shines the most out of Steve. He had an excellent skill in delivering what we didn't know we wanted, that's what i admire in the guy.
  • Reply 9 of 42
    I feel such mixed emotions: sadness for Steve's family who will have to rebuild their lives without him; gratitude for having the pleasure of using the products he and his team at Apple have developed over many years; hope that business managers worldwide will learn how to run innovative companies; hope that ordinary people will learn the lessons contained in his Stanford Uni speech; and finally inspired to know that Steve managed to achieve so much change in a world that is so resistant to change.



    Thank you Steve, and thank you Laurene and your children for allowing us all to benefit from your husband's amazing life.
  • Reply 10 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    [Deleted; not worth it, and don't feel up to it]



    Best response to a troller.



    Well played!
  • Reply 11 of 42
    ikolikol Posts: 369member
    It's all so sad- I hate this. He's forever captured in videos and audio with nothing new more to come.
  • Reply 12 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paulweller61 View Post


    Who we are, who we admire, who we view as heroes, says a lot about who we are as a society. I think it is kind of sad that Steve Jobs is considered such a hero. Has the technology he brought to us made our lives so much better? I don't think so. Yes, it is cool. Steve represents the false belief that we Americans love to hold on to "anyone can be Steve Jobs if they just work hard enough." How sad and untrue. Good for Steve. I just hope in those final moments he really had something that mattered to him beyond ego and wealth....it is a nice title for an article, but is it true?



    Your first sentence has some merit, but the rest is quite off the mark. The young and naive, those without a sense of self, want to be someone else, but for mature people, and those who will be mature, wanting to BE someone else is not what drives them or their goals.



    You lose your way when you bring technology into the equation. It was in technology where Jobs' skills were apparent, but his/Apples productivity, his leadership, vision, ability to define perfection, the ability to walk the walk, to provide cover for those others at Apple to lead is certainly applicable to other realms.



    Look at what the US society has become? It is driven by at best mediocrity, leaders who are petty, truly ego driven, and abject failures as measured by what this society has become.



    Steve Jobs and Apple gives us hope that it doesn't have to be that way. Thus the sadness and tears for a mere CEO.
  • Reply 13 of 42
    macrrmacrr Posts: 488member
    It's kind of cool that we all get to choose our heroes, and it's amazing what inspiration can do to change even one other person's thinking if even for a short time. Steve changed our society in ways we as a species won't really understand until we can digest it from afar with enough time to have passed to wipe it clean of emotion and see it for what it was, and connect the dots... kinda like steve said .



    But the sad thing about losing a hero is, indeed, the lack of future input. In that regard, we are all fortunate that steve put so much of his personality into his company and especially into his products. We are all holding a piece of his legacy in our pockets, in our hands, on our desks. All mere tools to help us navigate life better, and make better use of our limited time.. if we choose to. Almost some irony there.



    the thing I am most concerned about is with his death, it could mean the end of a technology renaissance. Because, really, that is what steve jobs lasting legacy will be. How to remove the bottom dollar profit squeezing approach to developing technology and go a different route to make an unfathomable core change to society. All with a technology realistically built to be an addition to our lives that becomes indispensable as much as it enables us to learn more faster and improve. All while having a good time.



    Here's to his vision making lasting changes on the next generation just as much as he did on ours, and many after that, so we constantly improve and have a good time. Just like he'd want.



    Thanks Steve.
  • Reply 14 of 42
    ronboronbo Posts: 669member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paulweller61 View Post


    Who we are, who we admire, who we view as heroes, says a lot about who we are as a society. I think it is kind of sad that Steve Jobs is considered such a hero. Has the technology he brought to us made our lives so much better? I don't think so. Yes, it is cool. Steve represents the false belief that we Americans love to hold on to "anyone can be Steve Jobs if they just work hard enough." How sad and untrue. Good for Steve. I just hope in those final moments he really had something that mattered to him beyond ego and wealth....it is a nice title for an article, but is it true?



    And your need to troll at a time like this says a lot about who you are as a person. In case you think otherwise, you've said nothing wise or profound. You just needed to spill some bile... and no doubt you're somehow proud of yourself for it. I pity those around you, who have to live with you in real life. Next, perhaps you can protest outside the funeral of a soldier.
  • Reply 15 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ronbo View Post


    And your need to troll at a time like this says a lot about who you are as a person. In case you think otherwise, you've said nothing wise or profound. You just needed to spill some bile... and no doubt you're somehow proud of yourself for it. I pity those around you, who have to live with you in real life. Next, perhaps you can protest outside the funeral of a soldier.



    I was reading on another site that the Westboro Church was planning to picket at the furneral.



    This was their reason



    "Margie Phelps, daughter of the small church?s founder and the lawyer who represented the church during their First Amendment case at the Supreme Court, (which Westboro won,) was among the Phelps family members to use Apple products to Tweet about the death of the Apple co-founder. "Westboro will picket his funeral. He had a huge platform; gave God no glory & taught sin," Margie tweeted Wednesday. night on her iPhone"



    Sick group.
  • Reply 16 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by extremeskater View Post


    I was reading on another site that the Westboro Church was planning to picket at the furneral.



    This was their reason



    "Margie Phelps, daughter of the small church?s founder and the lawyer who represented the church during their First Amendment case at the Supreme Court, (which Westboro won,) was among the Phelps family members to use Apple products to Tweet about the death of the Apple co-founder. "Westboro will picket his funeral. He had a huge platform; gave God no glory & taught sin," Margie tweeted Wednesday. night on her iPhone"



    Sick group.



    Perversity, thy name is Westboro.
  • Reply 17 of 42
    Quote:

    Jobs' acquaintance, speaking to the Times in anonymity, may have put it best: "Once you're gone, you belong to the world."



    Well, except in Steve Jobs' case, he now belongs to the ages.
  • Reply 18 of 42
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by extremeskater View Post


    I was reading on another site that the Westboro Church was planning to picket at the furneral.



    This was their reason



    "Margie Phelps, daughter of the small church?s founder and the lawyer who represented the church during their First Amendment case at the Supreme Court, (which Westboro won,) was among the Phelps family members to use Apple products to Tweet about the death of the Apple co-founder. "Westboro will picket his funeral. He had a huge platform; gave God no glory & taught sin," Margie tweeted Wednesday. night on her iPhone"



    Sick group.



    There is a special place in Hell reserved exclusively for the members of this group.
  • Reply 19 of 42
    paul94544paul94544 Posts: 1,027member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rtamesis View Post


    There is a special place in Hell reserved exclusively for the members of this group.



    if you were a true Christian you would forgive them not damn them..



    Love and peace brother
  • Reply 20 of 42
    myapplelovemyapplelove Posts: 1,515member
    the impact of his death is hitting me the past couple of days, it's very saddening, it's grief, a lot of people are grieving. God bless...
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