Another sad piece of news in a year of much sad news.  

To be fair, it does not come as a great surprise. He had been preparing for this for a long time, approaching death with the same style, creativity, and elegance as he approached his life. Cohen said in a recent interview that he was ready to die and, following much the same theme, in his final letter to Marianne Ihlen as she lay dying earlier this year -  ‘We are really so old and our bodies are falling apart and I think I will follow you very soon’. It pleases me greatly that, on his 80th birthday, he followed through on his long-held intention to take up smoking once more. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0nmHymgM7Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0nmHymgM7Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGorjBVag0I