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Original poster

I can't delete a friend's number...

49 replies

cjt110 · 20/10/2018 21:51

He died last January.

I changed phones and lost our last text exchanges.

Had a tidy up of of my contacts recently but I can't delete his number.

Is that daft?

OP posts:
zen1 · 20/10/2018 21:56

No, not daft. I still have the number of a friend who died 6 years ago in my phone. I feel as if deleting the number would be betraying their memory, even though they would probably tell me to delete it.

jmh740 · 20/10/2018 21:57

No my dad died in 2012 still not deleted his number

WatchingFromTheWings · 20/10/2018 22:00

I've still got my FIL in my phone book. He passed away 2 years ago.

Justletmego · 20/10/2018 22:00

My friend died ten years ago and it took many years before I deleted his number. Eventually having it there all the time was an becoming an uncomfortable little stab of reality

anunseemlylovefordustin · 20/10/2018 22:04

My dad died 12 years ago and I haven't deleted his number. It makes me smile and think of him when I see it in my favourites still.

DontHarshMyMello · 20/10/2018 22:05

I used to ring my nans house phone number after she died as for a couple seconds each time I thought she would answer.
Flowers

DeathyMcDeathStarFace · 20/10/2018 22:19

My MIL died last Christmas and, a few months afterwards, my DH wouldn't let me delete her name from her and FILs entry on our landline handset.

Thinking about it recently I thought I wouldn't have been able to do it anyway, even if he'd said yes. It kind of feels like we'd be deleting a little part of her from our lives and it wouldn't be the same if we did delete her name and added it back again afterwards if we regretted doing it.

legofriendly · 20/10/2018 22:22

Nope. I still have all the emails from my best friend who died years ago. I’ll probably have them forever.

Mhw02 · 20/10/2018 22:42

On reading this thread, I just checked my phone, and, sure enough, my mum's number is still there. Just spent the past twenty minutes reading through old text messages from her.

Paperdolly · 20/10/2018 22:42

I'm a number keeper too. Mums, mum in law and two wonderful friends that I'd feel awful if I deleted.

You never know...we might need to call them when we get to heaven 😉

HollowTalk · 20/10/2018 22:56

My mum's number is still down as "Mum and Dad" - I can't imagine changing that.

KeepServingTheDrinks · 21/10/2018 01:18

No my dad died in 2012 still not deleted his number

Me too, jmh February in my case.

And my parents (now just my mum) were under "M & D" in my contacts, but then my mum moved house, so I had to change the number.

BabySharkAteMyHamster · 21/10/2018 01:39

I still ring my mums old house phone number sometimes. Its disconected but I find it comforting

Cococachara · 21/10/2018 01:48

I ring my grandma's phone like others, it's been years and it's disconnected but I sometimes ring and just hope that i will hear her voice just one more time Sad. Ridiculous but I still do.
Yanbu it's hard to let go of the little things.

penisbeakers · 21/10/2018 02:35

No it's not. A friend of mine went missing years ago. She wandered out of her house in nothing but her dressing gown, no phone or money. She never came home and they never found her.

I still have her in my phone.

LustyBusty · 21/10/2018 05:30

Another one that thinks you're not daft. I still have "granny and grandpa" saved in my phone. Grandpa died 4 years ago. Granny 11 years ago. We still have their house and the same phone number so I still (very occasionally) call the number. So it's still in my phone and still under their names.

Devilishpyjamas · 21/10/2018 05:34

I still have the number of a friend who died about 4 years ago. I can’t imagine ever deleting it tbh. We grew up together.

moonkin · 21/10/2018 06:58

No, it's not. A mate of mine passed away not too long ago, and I still send her messages about my life once in a while.

Original poster
cjt110 · 21/10/2018 06:59

It's comforting to know I'm not alone.

My friend died suddenly and whilst he had been poorly, no-one expected the eventual outcome. He was a colleague and a friend. His desk (and position) is still empty. A lady is due to start soon and I feel like she's replacing him. And I've already decided I don't like her even though I've not really met her. Grief is a funny thing.

I still.know my Grandma's number by heart and use it as my banking pin. She died 12 years ago.

OP posts:
Yogagirl123 · 21/10/2018 07:08

Sorry for your loss OP Flowers

I would be the same.

bubbles092 · 21/10/2018 07:16

Not daft at all. I remember I still kept my sisters number after she died 5 years ago. I used to ring it just to find comfort in it. It never did ring but just made me feel that more closer to her. I've changed phones now and lost all my numbers, including my sisters :( found out I didn't save all the numbers on my SIM card! It was all on my old phone which I factory reset before I realised my error 

bubbles092 · 21/10/2018 07:17

@penisbeakers that is devastating! Is your friend on Missing People list? They're an organisation.

Notjustanyone · 21/10/2018 07:49

My dad died in 2014 and I still have his number. I couldn't stand to delete it.

Gormless · 21/10/2018 07:55

I acted as executor for a friend who passed away a few years ago. Of all the things of hers I had to cancel- bank accounts, utilities, subscriptions- the one that really upset me was cancelling her phone contract. I think there was still part of me that thought ‘but what if she needs to contact me’. Needless to say I still have her number, plus texts.

feathermucker · 21/10/2018 08:00

Keep it for as long as you need to.

Your grief is your own journey.