Good point, Earthbound Spirit. And I’ll add that I think some of this is like teaching in that you don’t always know how much what you do means to people until years later (or never at all), but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.

In addition to attending the funeral, a sympathy card is also appropriate. I cannot say how many times someone has thanked me for sending a card after a death in her/his family. Personally, I remember a crush of people I didn’t know at my father’s wake and funeral - but I kept the cards I received for about a year afterward as a reminder that people had cared about his life. It does not have to be extravagant. A simple card with an appropriate pre-printed sentiment, a handwritten “I’m so sorry for your loss,” and a signature will do.