Michael Smerconish: RANDY PAUSCH'S LESSON IN DYING

0 Comments | Philadelphia Daily News, June, 2008

I'M PRAYING that Randy Pausch lives to see Father's Day on Sunday. Even if he does, he knows it will surely be his last, since he's dying of pancreatic cancer.

On Aug. 15, 2007, he was told he had only three to six months of "good health" remaining. And while he's already beaten that curve, his ultimate fate is certain: This married father of three and tenured computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University cannot beat his illness. That Randy Pausch has achieved worldwide acclaim while confronting death is testament to the message he's spread with his remaining time.

After learning of his illness and undergoing an initial round of chemotherapy, Pausch delivered "The Last Lecture" at Carnegie Mellon in September. Such big-picture addresses have become common...