Sorry for your loss Jim, losing a parent sucks.
As per your request,
Years ago, while skiing, my Dad took a pretty bad fall, landing on his chest, with the pole grip against his chest. Good bruise, really stunned him. He said right then and there, "I'm done" In reality I think he realized that his kids were now better than he was and he was trying to keep up and thats what caused his crash. Anyway, the next day the whole family gets in the car to go back to the slopes for another day and Dad is in his gear, but didnt bring any skiis or poles, just his boots. I figured he would go back and get them after we were all booted up and out on the slopes. Every once in a while we would stop and he would be in the lodge, in his gear just checking out the snow bunnies (in the 70's they all wore the tight suits/pants). For the rest of the season he folowed the same plan, gear on, looking the part, just chatting up snow bunnies while we all skied.