The German-born millionaire, womanizer, photographer, art collector and man-about-globe had followed the fast-living course of his life to its end: Better to go out with a bang than with a whimper (Sachs was believed to have Alzheimer's disease).

WSJ: Death of a Playboy

To understand La Crosse, Thompson said, you had to go back to 1991, when local medical leaders headed a systematic campaign to get physicians and patients to discuss end-of-life wishes.

NEWYORKER: Letting Go