Alan: We talked a little bit before about the hardest part about growing older. To me it's loss. I lost my only brother. It was devastating for me.  I know you just lost a dear  
friend in Tom Poston. How do you cope with that?    
                
Bob Newhart: As you go along, you do, you start losing people. Well, in Tommy's case, it was a matter of his quality of life.  I knew he was sick. I would call Suzie from time to time to see how the two of them were doing--Suzanne Pleshette was married to Tommy--and knew he wasn't doing well.  Anyway, in the morning, the next morning after Tommy died, Suzanne called me, Suzie called me, and said, "We lost Tommy last night."  And I said, "Oh, Suzie, I'm so..." You know, Tommy was always one of those people you just assumed was always gonna be there.  And she said, "Well Bob, it was a blessing, that his quality of life, he really...he really wanted to end it."  He was such a vital, vigorous person, and that had kind of been taken away from him.  So I was able to deal with it knowing that it was Tommy's wish that--that he was in pain, he was bedridden, and that wasn't Tommy.  That wasn't the Tommy I knew.    

Alan: So, you have to still deal with the loss.  Your friend's not there anymore.    

Bob: Recently I was coming back from Omaha, I think, and we were diverted to Albuquerque 'cause they were having storms in Phoenix which was where the plane was going, from Omaha to Phoenix.  I was bemoaning that fact, and then thought to myself, you know, Tom Poston would love to be on this flight...so count your blessings.