In the end, he did it on his own terms.
That was the view of one pilgrim in St Peter's Square last night as locals, tourists and members of the Catholic faith gathered to remember Pope Francis.
The idea that the Pope had died in a way that typified his life and his papacy was shared by many there, conscious of how the world had watched for weeks as the Pope was a patient in Rome’s Gemelli hospital, battling what his doctors would describe as a complex medical condition.
His 38 days in hospital had raised fears about the toll that double pneumonia coupled with significant breathing issues would take on the health of an 88-year-old man.
But he defied those who said he wouldn’t leave the hospital, returning to his humble residence in Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City where he passed away on Easter Monday.
His appearance in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday delighted those who were there but many of those same people were back on a balmy Rome evening mourning his loss, and acknowledging that he was clearly frail and unwell even as he greeted people on Sunday.
It has left many in Rome with a sense of relief that any suffering Pope Francis knew through poor health is now over, and joy that they got to see him in what would turn out to be his final hours.
He wasn’t saying hello as we thought, one person told me, he was saying goodbye.
That his death still came as a surprise even though his health has been under such scrutiny in recent weeks is an indicator of Pope Francis’s ability to convince people he could battle through anything.
As this city prepares for the days ahead - of mourning and ritual and of course the election of a successor - the image that dominates here of Pope Francis is one of happiness.
In Rome last night that happiness was evident on those who spoke of the Pope - smiling as they remembered him and happy that his suffering is over.
His papacy may not have been as long as that of predecessors like Pope John Paul II but his impact has been profound.
The days ahead are likely to prove that even further as the faithful who felt a deep connection to him come to say their goodbyes, as he did on Easter Sunday to the crowds who gathered to see him then.
