Dana Andrews Obituary: The Illness Story Few Discuss
- 01. Key facts at a glance
- 02. Timeline of illness and death
- 03. Medical context: why pneumonia is common in advanced Alzheimer's
- 04. Illustrative data table - typical course and outcomes
- 05. Obituary reporting and cause-of-death phrasing
- 06. Contextual history and notable quotes
- 07. What this means for readers researching obituaries
- 08. Further reading and primary sources
- 09. Short FAQ - common user queries
- 10. Researcher's note and citations
Dana Andrews died on December 17, 1992, at age 83 after a period of declining health: he was hospitalized with pneumonia and had spent his final years living with Alzheimer's disease in a long-term care facility, with pneumonia recorded as the immediate cause of death.
Key facts at a glance
Quick summary: Born January 1, 1909, Dana Andrews was a leading Hollywood actor of the 1940s whose final years were marked by Alzheimer's disease and a fatal bout of pneumonia on December 17, 1992.
- Full name: Carver Dana Andrews.
- Born: January 1, 1909 (Covington County, Mississippi).
- Died: December 17, 1992 (Los Alamitos, California), age 83.
- Immediate cause: Pneumonia (hospitalized at Los Alamitos Medical Center).
- Underlying illness: Alzheimer's disease, requiring residence in an Alzheimer's care center in later years.
Timeline of illness and death
Late-life residence: In his final years Andrews lived at a specialised care facility (John French Center for Alzheimer's care in Los Alamitos) as his cognitive decline progressed.
- Onset of cognitive decline: Family and press accounts document a progressive dementia in the years before 1992, identified in public obituaries as Alzheimer's disease.
- Hospitalization: In December 1992 Andrews was admitted to Los Alamitos Medical Center with pneumonia.
- Death: He died on December 17, 1992; obituaries list pneumonia as the immediate cause and Alzheimer's as the chronic, contributing illness.
Medical context: why pneumonia is common in advanced Alzheimer's
Swallowing and aspiration: Advanced Alzheimer's commonly impairs swallow reflex and cough, raising the risk that oropharyngeal secretions or food are aspirated into the lungs and cause pneumonia.
Impaired immunity: Progressive frailty and malnutrition in late-stage dementia reduce immune competence, making respiratory infections more severe and recovery less likely.
Illustrative data table - typical course and outcomes
| Stage | Typical features | Approx. risk of pneumonia |
|---|---|---|
| Early | Mild memory loss, independent eating | Low (under 5% annually) |
| Moderate | Difficulty with complex tasks, occasional swallowing problems | Moderate (5-15% annually) |
| Severe | Non-verbal, dependent feeding, impaired cough/swallow | High (20-40% annually) |
Note: The percentages above are illustrative averages used by geriatric clinicians when discussing relative risk across dementia stages and do not represent a specific study of Andrews himself.
Obituary reporting and cause-of-death phrasing
How obituaries phrase causes: Major obituaries commonly list an immediate cause (for example, pneumonia) and may note a chronic underlying condition (Alzheimer's disease) that rendered the patient vulnerable; that exact structure appears in contemporaneous reporting of Andrews's death.
Contemporary notice: The New York Times obituary stated he had been hospitalized with pneumonia and had been living in an Alzheimer's care center prior to admission.
Contextual history and notable quotes
Career and later years: Andrews was best known for 1940s films such as Laura and The Best Years of Our Lives; later in life he publicly discussed his recovery from alcoholism, a struggle documented in interviews in the 1970s that he overcame for the remainder of his life.
Direct quote: In a 1985 interview Andrews described his sobriety efforts, saying, "I'm Dana Andrews and I am an alcoholic. I don't drink anymore, but I used to all the time ..." - a public statement that historians cite when summarising his personal history.
What this means for readers researching obituaries
Practical takeaway: When researching a historical figure's death, look for contemporaneous primary obituaries from reputable outlets (national newspapers, hospital statements) for the immediate cause, and use later biographies for context and underlying chronic conditions; this is precisely the pattern visible in Andrews's death reporting.
Further reading and primary sources
Primary obituary: The New York Times obituary (December 19, 1992) and several British obituaries from December 1992 record the hospitalization for pneumonia and residence in an Alzheimer's care facility prior to death.
Short FAQ - common user queries
Researcher's note and citations
Source reliability: This article relies on contemporaneous obituary reporting and film-history profiles; the New York Times obituary and major UK obituary notices from December 1992 provide the primary factual base for dates and cause-of-death statements.
Expert answers to Dana Andrews Obituary The Illness Story Few Discuss queries
Was pneumonia listed as the cause of death?
Yes; major obituaries published at the time record pneumonia as the immediate cause of death for Dana Andrews on December 17, 1992.
Did Alzheimer's disease contribute to his death?
Yes; accounts state Andrews spent his last years in an Alzheimer's care residence and that dementia was the chronic condition that left him vulnerable to fatal pneumonia.
Are there conflicting reports about his cause of death?
Most reliable contemporary sources agree on pneumonia as the immediate cause and Alzheimer's as the underlying illness; some secondary or later online biographies list congestive heart failure among contributing conditions, which is a common variation in retrospective summaries but not the primary immediate cause given by hospital statements.
How reliable are online summaries?
They vary: contemporaneous newspaper obituaries (e.g., The New York Times) are typically most reliable for immediate cause and date; user-generated pages or later aggregators sometimes conflate or add causes such as congestive heart failure, so cross-checking is advisable.
Where can I find the original obituary?
Search newspaper archives (The New York Times archive, British national archives) for December 18-20, 1992 obituaries of Dana Andrews to view original reporting and hospital statements.
When did Dana Andrews die?
He died on December 17, 1992, at age 83.
What did he die of?
Pneumonia is recorded as the immediate cause of death, with Alzheimer's disease noted as the chronic condition that contributed to his decline.
Was Alzheimer's the reason he was hospitalized?
Alzheimer's was the underlying chronic illness that required long-term care, while pneumonia was the acute condition that led to hospitalization and his subsequent death.
Are there discrepancies in online reports?
Some later biographies and fan pages add other contributing conditions such as congestive heart failure; primary contemporaneous newspaper obituaries are the clearest sources for the official immediate cause.