Then right before he retired he got something called IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). While not life threatening, it reduced his quality of life significantly as well as sending him into depression. While he is a lot better both physically and mentally now. I would say he is 90%+ recovered in both aspects. But the damage is done, and he is now almost a homebody watching movies and Youtube all day because he fears not being close to the bathroom for extended periods (specifically, a comfortable home bathroom, not a public toilet). His lifelong golf hobby is effectively gone too.
Needless to say, I was raised to be frugal, which I always resisted. But after seeing what happened to my dad (and as a result, mom too), that resistance has turned into a fuck no. I certainly don't advocate splurging above your means, but I do advocate living life to the fullest, even if that means spending substantial money.
Other than going back to visit family in Korea a few times, my mom has never ventured outside the US northeast. My wife and I have made it a point to take her on a plane trip once a year since my dad can't, and she has been absolutely thrilled.
Bought my dad his dream car (a V8 BMW 5-series) because he still can't break out of his frugal mindset despite being financially well-off. Got yelled at for not being frugal and spending money when I gave it to him, but in spite of that he absolutely loves driving it.