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Bereavement

Deleting deceased relative from phone

(52 Posts)
Cambsnan Tue 15-Jul-25 09:48:18

Why am I finding this so hard. Seeing his name hurts but deleting it is so final.

Grannybags Tue 15-Jul-25 09:54:07

My lovely Mum died 13 years ago but she is still in my contact list

I have also kept my old phone from then with a text message on it from her

M0nica Tue 15-Jul-25 09:56:21

It is the same deleting an address from one's address book. Those strike through lines are so hard to do.

tanith Tue 15-Jul-25 09:57:13

My husband who's been gone 7yrs is still in my contacts with the messages he sent me i read them occasionally

TerriBull Tue 15-Jul-25 09:57:22

Yes me too Grannybags, and my mum died in 2012 and I have her old Nokia phone in my drawer. I also still have the contact details of a close friend who died 5 years ago sad

TerriBull Tue 15-Jul-25 09:58:15

Actually she died in 2008, my brother died in 2012, he's still there too.

RosieandherMaw Tue 15-Jul-25 09:58:20

Then don’t- seeing a name can bring comfort.

A cautionary tale though, 24 years ago when my Dad died there was some credit on his Pay as you Go phone and I used it for a quick text to D1 because mine was not to hand or maybe out of battery.
Poor girl had a dreadful shock to see what looked like a “message from beyond the grave”from her Grandpa.

More seriously I was very sad to lose DH’s last text to me from hospital (“When shall I see you, when are you coming in?”) when I changed my phone and it couldn’t be saved.sad

JackyB Fri 01-Aug-25 09:10:51

I haven't deleted my mother. In fact I added the date of her death to the contact and set a reminder, and every year on her birthday and anniversary of her death, my sister and I raise our glasses (G&T, mother's usual tipple) to her. This week on the 6th anniversary of her death was an exception, as sis is away, but we both did our little individual remembrances.

Greenfinch Fri 01-Aug-25 09:20:53

Yes, I can understand all these thoughts when referring to close relatives but I have just deleted a cousin whose funeral we have recently been to. It seemed to fit in with the act of saying goodbye.
What I find disconcerting and upsetting is when Facebook pops up with a message that tomorrow is a relative’s birthday when they have been dead for several years. It happened to me yesterday concerning a cousin in Australia who died five years ago.

keepingquiet Fri 01-Aug-25 09:22:45

I think Facebook is very bad for this too...but I love seeing my late brother's comments from when he was alive. It brings a smile to my face as if he's still here!

V3ra Fri 01-Aug-25 09:23:48

Dad moved after Mum died so his contact details are where he is now.
The date Mum died, in 2018, is in my phone calendar and repeats every year.

Georgesgran Fri 01-Aug-25 09:31:30

DH is still in my phone along with our text messages and a separate text conversation between the DDs and me about his condition, as he deteriorated.

Peep Fri 01-Aug-25 10:21:05

My nephew died in 2016, I still have him in my contacts list, address - Heaven.

pably15 Fri 01-Aug-25 10:28:24

I don't think there's anything wrong with keeping text or messages from loved ones it makes them feel closer to us ,,

Pantglas2 Sat 02-Aug-25 06:05:23

I found it jarring to delete friends/neighbours from my Xmas card list each December when I started writing them but was absolutely devastated when my darling Aunt died and I simply couldn’t cross her name off! So I put brackets around her…😢 and there she remains!

BlueBelle Sat 02-Aug-25 06:13:28

I ve changed my phone since mum and dad died so I don’t have their number there any more but what I did find horribly upsetting was that I couldn’t find anything with their voices on I hunted and hunted after Dad died but nothing if only I had something to hear I cried buckets that I couldn’t hear his voice ever again

grandMattie Sat 02-Aug-25 06:46:26

DH didn’t have a mobile, but my late son did. Although it’s now 4 years since he died, I can’t bear to remove any of his numbers and communications from my iPhone/pad.

winterwhite Sat 02-Aug-25 10:08:54

My parents both died before the mobile phone era.

Can see that losing the sound of voices or texts would be impossible, but addresses in address books not so much.

But a close friend has retained their janet&john joint email though ‘John’ died several years ago. I find it a bit creepy

fancyflowers Sat 02-Aug-25 10:25:07

I lost my mum 25 years ago, but she once took part in a documentary, so I am still able to see her and hear her voice. I have backed up the documentary, just in case.

Bellanonna Sat 02-Aug-25 10:34:24

Gosh, I’m finding this hard to read 😢

GrannyGravy13 Sat 02-Aug-25 11:04:39

I have my mum’s number in my phone and all her text messages, she died eight years ago 😿

I was rather emotional when we gave up our landline a couple of months ago as I had voice messages from her on the answering service, we were unable to save them 😿

ViceVersa Sat 02-Aug-25 11:49:35

Re the Facebook comments, the one I always find a bit disconcerting is a work colleague who died several years ago, but every year on his birthday, there are comments from people who clearly don't even realise that he is no longer with us.

knspol Sat 02-Aug-25 13:47:58

I still have the details of departed close family and friends in my address book and on my phone, couldn't bear to delete them. Still have last text from my DH in his hospital room about to have an operation which he didn't survive, sounded so cheerful hoping it would give him a whole new lease of life.

Romola Sat 02-Aug-25 13:48:14

I do delete phone numbers of people who have died. But throwing away anything with their handwritings on, I can't.

AuntieE Sat 02-Aug-25 14:25:52

I forced myself to delete DHs phone number while I was dealing with probate and everything hurt.

Unfortunately, I cannot apparently delete his or anyone else's name and number from the list that pops up when I send texts, even although the name and number is deleted in my contacts for phoning.

If anyone knows how to solve this problem on a Samsung Galaxy 5, please let me know.