My deepest condolences Hickeydog.
Although few people ever wants to die no matter how old they are, if you had a chance to ask him how he would have prefered to die (going fast or taking days, weeks or months to die in a hospital or nursing home) he most likely would have chosen to go quickly.
I watched my grandpa die back in the 80's in a hospital over the course of two months, and I wouldn't wish that on anybody. His wife (my grandmother) spent the last 10 years of her life in a nursing home until she finally died at age 99 only a couple years ago. As my parents now approach their 80's, I can only hope they are both relatively healthy until a swift end comes.