Passing of a Legend

Doc Holliday: 1851-1887.

A prematurely aged, retired dentist, 36 years old, dies alone in a Glenwood Springs, CO, hotel room on November 8, 1887. John Henry Holliday, known as “Doc,” succumbs to the ravages of tuberculosis and pneumonia (combined with a fairly uninhibited lifestyle). He does not say, “That’s funny” before he expires. He is buried that same day in a local cemetery; a Presbyterian minister officiates. Doc helped create quite a myth and legend about himself, one that was enhanced and built upon by writers, storytellers, and movie and TV producers over the decades. A true American original.