There is only one person who I have ever been friends with who I know that has passed away. It was a Jamaican friend who died of sickle cell while on a plane.
So sad, was a good guy and only person around my age who passed away, its a weird and scary feeling knowing he is gone from this physical world.
There are no words to describe the immeasurable pain of losing a loved one. I hope that you can feel solace knowing that his soul lives on eternally.