I may be a morbid person, but I have always read the obituaries. I’ve been doing it for decades. I find out a lot about a variety of people (local folks and international folks) who have led interesting lives but about whom I may not have never heard. It’s sort of a hobby. I used to read newspapers, now I read Wikipedia. Like, several times a day, because I am a nut.
I can say that I have seen stories of — let’s say — 25-year-old soccer players dying. But the cause is usually a traffic collision. I’ve seen that sort of thing for decades. Young athletes don’t die often at all. And when they do, it’s something like traffic accidents, or shot in a bar.
The last two years has been remarkable. Young people in sports and entertainment dropping like flies. And usually not because of traffic, usually not because they were shot, usually not for any known cause at all. All of a sudden, lots of young people dropping dead, and “no cause is known”.
And we’re not supposed to notice or be interested.
The first thing my parents did when the paper was delivered, was to look at the obituaries page.
You're not alone.
I read the obituary notices to make sure my names not in there 🙃
In the same vein as your anecdote: I do monument inscribing for a living. Since 1982. Except one time many years ago I cannot recall seeing or putting on the same date of death for two people on the same family stone. This year I’ve done it so many times I’ve lost count.
diedsuddenly or diessuddenly