Thomas DeBaggio (1942–2011)

DeBaggio started an herb farm and nursery in Northern Virginia and wrote an authoritative guide to herbs. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at the age of 57. For more than 7 years, "All Things Considered," on National Public Radio, followed the story of his disease.
He wrote two books about what it was like to have early-onset Alzheimer's disease. He described it as "the closest thing to being eaten alive slowly."