When New York gave same-sex couples the freedom to marry last year, 91-year-old Cris Alexander and 85-year-old Shaun O’Brien were one of the many couples who chose to tie the knot. At the time of their marriage, they had already been together for more than sixty years. This year, both Shaun and Cris died — less than two weeks apart.
O’Brien, a dancer, died on February 23 at the age of 86. In its obituary for Alexander, an actor and photographer who passed away on March 7 at age 92, the New York Times quotes a friend of the couple who has no doubt about the cause of Mr. Alexander’s death:
“If there is a cause of death, it’s a broken heart,” his friend Jane Klain said in confirming Mr. Alexander’s death. “It’s as simple as that.”
Click on the link to read the full obituary.
