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I have often read opinion of 'experts' who say anyone committing suicide is ipso facto mentally ill.

I would absolutely dispute that.

Doris, in response to my remarks about my father drowning himself, you suggested it was sad that he couldn't 'work through it'.  (Paraphrasing here.)

If we are talking about a young person with their life ahead, then yes, I'd agree.  But here we had an old man, late 80's, who because of a sudden medical event found himself unable to live independently and was put into a nursing home.  He was not a sociable person, having eschewed the company of others for most of his life, and his physical health plus being forced into an institutional routine with people with whom he had nothing in common , meant he was deeply unhappy.  He simply wanted not to participate in that existence.

Our politicians who know what is best for us deny the old and infirm the opportunity of voluntary euthanasia.  He saw suicide as his only option to end his misery. 

To me, this means his thinking was perfectly sane.  I would have felt the same in his position.

I deeply regret the way he died.  It was absolutely horrible.  No human being should have to do that, ever.  But until more civilised options are available to us, suicide will be the choice of many.  That does not make them insane.