I am a member of the grief group at google – one of the people posted an invite to participate into research into grief..here are the details if you would like to take part
“My research has been approved by both my dissertation committee and
Auburn University’s Institutional Review Board. The study is being
hosted online. I am currently seeking individuals coping with
bereavement to participate in my research.  You are eligible to
participate in this study if you are 19 or over and have lost a close
family member or friend within the last 12 to 48 months due to natural
causes, illness, accidental death, violence, …read more

Over at google groups someone has posted
“I wonder if anyone here has had experience with the death of a family
member from whom you were totally estranged (by choice)?  My brother
recently died from the cumulative effects of 25 years of unremitting
drug/alcohol abuse.  During that quarter of a century span, he stole
from many people, took advantage of well-meaning relatives who tried
to help him, did time in jail, lied pathologically about everything,
caused untold grief to my parents (sometimes really terrorizing them)
etc etc.  He basically dropped out of sight but by the time that
happened I had long since cut him out of my life. …read more