A family death 10,000 odd miles away

For the second time this year, there has been a death in my family. On January 4th, it was my aunt Daisy who died at least 10 years early from smoking related causes. Last Thursday, my uncle Blaine, a retired Washington D.C. Metropolitan PD detective died 10 or so years early from a heart attack. He too, had smoked since he was a teenager.
Since I won't be able to go back for the funeral, I can just sit here with memories of him. He was a man whom I greatly respected. He achieved a lot with his life, something not easily for people born and raised in rural West Virginia. I am especially sorry that I hadn't seen him for about 15 years.