Another office situation was George Pillsbury. He was a tech writer. He had been manager of the tech writers but my boss demoted him because he just want' up to the job. He remained a relatively competent tech writer. He was a troubled alcoholic - sometimes under control and I don;t recall him coming into the office drunk. Then one day he didn't show up at work and we soon learned that he had shot himself.
And then there was, I think, Jan - a friend of a friend, who stayed on my couch for a few weeks. She was a severe manic / depressive (I know they don't use that terminology anymore). I'd never encountered anyone quite like that - she was almost always at one extreme of the other. It was very hard to relate to her; I tried, but. She found another place to live and moved out - to my relief. And then several months later I heard that she had committed suicide.
After these events I always think about what could I have done that might have avoided this.
