I'm sorry about another 'someone died' post but- well, it's the only relevant item pertaining to this QOTW.
Back when I worked in the atomic clocks company I was one of the builders and Chris and Noel (altered to protect those who aren't on this web forum) were the testers. Our 'thing' was that we'd always call each other Dad- stemming from an incident where Chris was approached by Noel who asked of the machine on test "What's wrong with it son?" to which Chris got into the improv act character instantly and replied in a teeny pathetic voice "It's broken dad. Can we fix it?". Noel replied consolingly "Yes son. We'll fix it".

So now, Chris was Dad ("Allright Dad?"), Noel was Dad ("I'm allright thanks Dad") and I was also Dad ("Have you bought this for me, Dad?").

Everyone was Dad. No worries.

One day Chris wasn't in. A couple more days and he wasn't in, the work was piling up and Noel wanted to find out from management where Chris was.

He was Off. Compassionate leave. His rather-too-young father at the age of maybe 53 had suffered a sudden illness- maybe heart attack, I didn't get all the information- which caused him to literally drop dead overnight. But not in bed peacefully, in one of the rooms in the house.

Chris found him stone dead in the morning and after some attempts at rousing his old man, realised he was dead and had to tell his mum of his grim discovery- talk about 'making a man out of you that day'. A sad and no doubt traumatic experience. As these things go, you kind of dread them coming back to work as you don't want to say anything that might remind them.

For about three days after he returned, post-funeral, we walked on eggshells and successfully made it 'just work, no joshing, no ribald remarks, just respectful continuation of business'.

On day 4 when I felt he was relaxing a little we started making the first steps back to normality as it was, maybe having a bit of a laugh here, a smidge of a joke there and smiling again. So naturally getting off-guard I said "Here's the latest, Dad..." on bringing in the latest clock for test.

Echo....tick-tock-tick-tock....oh shiiiii.... I said Dad and his Dad is just dead...... did he notice? erm....oooh...I feel bad...shit....

"Allright Dad!" he said in a businesslike way and bent his head down to do the preliminary inspection, business as usual.

To this day I don't know if he was faking nonchalance to spare MY feelings about foot-in-mouth syndrome or he really didn't notice.
( Rotating Wobbly Hat That's not a banana. THIS is a banana., Wed 9 Nov 2011, 22:53, 4 replies)

Oof, I know that feeling!
*enclickens*
(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Thu 10 Nov 2011, 8:32, closed)

I've been in this exact position
I lost my Dad when I was at Uni.

On my return, being with a bunch of mates who would regularly rip the piss out of each other, one said something about my Dad smelling.

There was an audible gasp, which I broke by saying "well, he would do after being dead for a month. But still not as bad as your Mum."

He later apologised, but I assured him it was fine because (a) he was a mate and I know he didn't intend to offend me, (b) I needed a laugh and (c) my Dad would have appreciated the joke and my quick wits.
( Joe Scaramanga with a G-double-O-D vibration, Thu 10 Nov 2011, 8:37, closed)

It always seems that when someone dies,
the world suddenly starts a 24 hour a day death fest. Everything suddenly seems to relate to death, references to whoever it was that died (dad, Mum, wife, girlfriend etc). TV, newspapers, and conversations.

Truth is, the world is exactly like that all the time, you just notice it more when it's more relevant to you, or someone you know.

This doesn't minimise the fact it can be a painful reminder to people, it's just something I noticed.
(username failed moderation, Thu 10 Nov 2011, 8:47, closed)

Yep
A leaflet on coping with grief that I read once even went so far as to say "expect to lose a few friends - you won't fall out, they'll just avoid you coz they don't know what to say to you", or words to that effect.
(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Thu 10 Nov 2011, 9:17, closed)