Skelton was a pretty classic manic depressive, usually called bipolar disorder today. Obviously the death of his son had a great impact on him, also. If you look even at his early work, though, you can see the same type of manic energy that guys like Chris Farley and Robin Williams rode to fame.
I've never lost a child, but as a firefighter, I've had to tell people their child was gone, and one of my daughters was ill enough once that I've been as close to that ledge as I ever care to be. Some wounds never heal.
Informing Parents,,,
I could not imagine
how difficult.