Complex sentence: After Bernice's death during January 1978, Cozzens' health deteriorated rapidly and he died on August 9 of complications from spinal cancer and pneumonia, ten days short of his 74th birthday.
Split into simpler sentences: After Bernice's death during January 1978, Cozzens's own health deteriorated rapidly. He died on August 9,1978, of complications from spinal cancer and pneumonia, ten days short of his 74th birthday.