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Geoffrey Turner, 66, of Latham, NY, died on February 13 after three months of fighting lung cancer.
A smoker who died of lung cancer wrote his own obituary, imploring others to quit before it was too late.
The father of five Geoffrey Turner, of Latham, New York, had been a chain smoker for more than four decades.
Died at the age of 66 Feb. 13 after battling stage IV lung cancer in the last three months.
In an obituary published in the Albany Times-Union, Turner implored other smokers to give up the habit, telling them that "your life depends on it".
"I was an idiot who made the same stupid decision, day after day, several times a day," he wrote in the obituary published Saturday, February 17.
"I was a smoker and even though I knew it might eventually kill me, I chose to deny myself the truth."
Turner went on to say that choosing to smoke cigarettes was not only hurting people, it was hurting their loved ones.
"The pain and suffering I caused to my family was not worth the perceived" satisfaction "that was wasting money, separating me from my family and eventually destroying my body."
Turner's daughter, Sarah Huiest, has declared TODAY that, according to the family legend, Turner had found one of his mother's cigarettes for the first time at the age of two and had smoked for the first time to four years.
"He smoked until he was 24, when he married my mother," said Huiest.
She added that her father had started smoking again in the 1990s and had tried several times to give up the habit.
"He talked about trying to quit last summer with my mom, but did not do a lot of effort," said Huiest TODAY "HUI.
"She tried to get him quit often, but he was very stubborn and there was very little discussion about it."
In November, Turner was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer – the most advanced stage of the disease.
At this point, the cancer has metastasized beyond the lungs and spread throughout the body.
According to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, the the five-year survival rate for patients diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer is less than 10%.
Turner started smoking at the age of 24 and tried several times, but without success, to quit. Pictured: Turner, right, and his wife, Josie, on their wedding day
He wrote an obituary published in the Albany Times-Union on February 17 (photo), imploring other smokers to quit before they suffered the same fate.
Just three months later, Turner pbaded away, leaving behind his 41-year-old wife Josie. five children, including Sarah; and four grandchildren.
"At 66, I led a decent life," Turner wrote in his obituary. "But there are so many events and milestones that I will not be able to share with my loved ones.
Prior to his death, Turner had asked that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to a children's charity or to the American Cancer Society.
He also donated his body to the Albany Medical Center for cancer research and medical education.
"If you're a smoker, stop smoking, your life depends on it and the ones you love depend on your life," Turner wrote. & # 39; Remember that life is beautiful – do not let it go up in smoke. & # 39;
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths each year in the United States.
The agency also claims that smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, not only in America, but around the world.
Turner's wife, Josie, told WNYT that she hoped that the smokers who read the obituary take into account the warnings of her late husband.
"If his words can have an impact on the fact that a person turns off a cigarette and leads a healthier life, it's worth it," she told the chain. I hope this will happen.
Huiest told the Times-Union that her father had shown her obituary before her death and that she had been surprised at its contents.
"It was all the truth, but it was extremely self-deprecating. He took responsibility, she said. "Reading it, I do not think I've ever been so proud of him.
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