Complex sentence: Bacon, a near alcoholic himself, felt an acute sense of mortality and awareness of the fragility of life by his former friend's death, an awarness heightened by the death of of many other close friend during the following decade.
Split into simpler sentences: Bacon, a near alcoholic himself, felt an acute sense of mortality and awareness of the fragility of life after his former friend's death. This awarness was heightened by the death of of many other close friend during the following decade.