[Daffodil_fields]

Not public in Nevada, where my old friend died.

How else can I find out how this person died? I found an online obituary from 2017. But, no cause of death was given.

I am reluctant to ask his family members, because isn't it rude to ask how someone died? I wouldn't even know how to ask them.

We had been e-mailing for years before his sudden death, and he seemed perfectly fine (never mentioned any health issues) e-mailing up to just one month before his death. He was in his 50s.

Thank you for any ideas.

[Harpaint]

If you belong to Ancestry, you could look him up there.

[Daffodil_fields]

I don't belong to Ancestry, but they would give a cause of death?

I thought about contacting one of his family members on Facebook, but it makes me uncomfortable to ask his wife or grown kids... I didn't want to bother any of his family members, if at all possible. I did not know them.

[howard555]

Originally Posted by Daffodil_fields

I don't belong to Ancestry, but they would give a cause of death?

I thought about contacting one of his family members on Facebook, but it makes me uncomfortable to ask his wife or grown kids... I didn't want to bother any of his family members, if at all possible. I did not know them.

It's been 3 years. With you being an old friend you should contact the names shown in the obituary. I think they will share with you. One at a time, slowly and maybe start with the ones more distant from the deceased such as a nephew, etc. or whatever names are seen in the obituary.

If the death was not a hospital there would be a coroner's report. It wasn't in Nevada but getting help from the coroner's office has been done in the past.

[Daffodil_fields]

Originally Posted by howard555

It's been 3 years. With you being an old friend you should contact the names shown in the obituary. I think they will share with you. One at a time, slowly and maybe start with the ones more distant from the deceased such as a nephew, etc. or whatever names are seen in the obituary.

If the death was not a hospital there would be a coroner's report. It wasn't in Nevada but getting help from the coroner's office has been done in the past.

Contact his relatives, through Facebook you mean?

What do I say, how do I tactfully ask how he passed away?

I last heard from him only 5 weeks before his death date.

[Roselvr]

Originally Posted by Daffodil_fields

Not public in Nevada, where my old friend died.

How else can I find out how this person died? I found an online obituary from 2017. But, no cause of death was given.

I am reluctant to ask his family members, because isn't it rude to ask how someone died? I wouldn't even know how to ask them.

We had been e-mailing for years before his sudden death, and he seemed perfectly fine (never mentioned any health issues) e-mailing up to just one month before his death. He was in his 50s.

Thank you for any ideas.

I'm surprised his wife or one of his kids didn't email you. Back when I was a mod for Maximum PC magazine, one of the members passed away from a massive heart attack. His son ended up replying to one of my emails telling me he passed away

Originally Posted by Daffodil_fields

Contact his relatives, through Facebook you mean?

What do I say, how do I tactfully ask how he passed away?

I last heard from him only 5 weeks before his death date.

What I would do, look them up on Facebook, then try to look on their wall to see if there is a post from when he died. One of the kids may have posted about it. I've found posts on various deaths this way. They may have shared the obituary on their FB profile.

With the online obituary, no one left condolences like sorry for the sudden loss of your husband?

I don't have an ancestry account but many people in the genealogy section do. Historyfan has one. Try to reach out to her if she doesn't see your thread here. She can easily look to see if there's anything at Ancestry.

If you did email or Facebook message someone, I would go straight to the wife. Does she know who you are? If so, you could message her to say that you recently learned her husband passed away. You didn't know that's the reason he didn't reply to your last email. Tell her how sorry you are, share some memories of him and ask if he was sick because he never mentioned it.

I guess that googling his name didn't produce a go fund me for funeral expenses that would tell what happened. It's a great tool to find cause of death these days. Google his name and go fund me to see if one comes up.