At a funeral I recently attended, the minister referred several times to the man having “died,” but the obituary printed in the funeral bulletin distributed at the service referred to the man having “passed away.”  During the first fifty years or so of my life, the term I always heard or read was “died.”  But now, more often than not, I hear and read: so and so “passed” or “passed away.”  Several questions come to mind: exactly when did the change in terminology occur, what was the reason for the change, is it helpful for the family of the deceased, and what are the theological implications of using “passed away” or “passed” instead of “died”?  I decided to explore the matter. Read more…