I am deeply sorry for your loss Nick. Growing old is not fun and requires a stiff upper lip to accept the fact there is nothing one can do to stop it. Jane and I are not far behind you as we see our days of flying and paddling are fast coming to a close. She is my best friend and I cannot imagine my life without her in it and I pray I never have to.
You will have many wonderful memories of your life together, review them often, keep those memories alive in your heart and your mind. Stay busy, keep your mind active, answering questions here is an excellent start.
You might be right in that you can no longer paddle but I bet you could build and maybe not kayaks, how about paddles, custom seats, etc. Anything to keep the juices flowing
I don't have time to build in the summer but next fall I may want to explore your building experience for ways to correct my mistakes.
Whenever you start to feel alone just click on your computer and send us a message, we are all willing to talk and to listen to just about anything
Randy