I, too, recall a similar incident with my father-in-law. It was about 5 or 10 minutes before he took his final breath after suffering years from Alzheimers. We were all surrounding his bed, and his grandson arrived and said "Hi, Grandpa. It's ****** (his name)." We had all been softly talking to him, but on hearing that, my father-in-law, who hadn't had any kind of an expression on his face in about a year, suddenly got the widest, happiest grin on his face and held it for a few seconds. A few minutes later, he was gone. Perhaps that smile was for his grandson, or perhaps it was because, although he hadn't had the intellect or capacity to actively reach out and hold on to the Lord's hand for years, he was so happy to see that the Lord had held on to his anyway all that time.
***suddenly got the widest, happiest grin on his face and held it for a few seconds. A few minutes later, he was gone. Perhaps that smile was for his grandson, or perhaps it was because, although he hadn't had the intellect or capacity to actively reach out and hold on to the Lord's hand for years, he was so happy to see that the Lord had held on to his anyway all that time.***
Or maybe he saw God's angels coming to take him to heaven (I've got goosebumps!)
I love stories like that!
On the other hand, a long-time nurse I worked with told of being with a non-believing resident of the nursing home as she died; the nurse said the resident was burning up as with a fever when she died (but was not sick and didn't have a fever . . . )