That really sucks. My mom's family is not all that close, but if someone dies we'd all know about it.

I havent't seen my father's family since he died almost 21 years ago. When my father's brother died none of his remaining siblings even went to his funeral. So I probably have relatives on my father's side that I wouldn't know if they're dead or alive. I actually met my father's one brother at my father's funeral.