# Do you keep dead people on your phone's contact list? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242 "2012-11-16T20:55:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/1 "2012-11-16T20:55:25Z")
My GF thinks it’s creepy that I keep 2 of my deceased friends, who died way too early (one in his early 20’s and one in his late 30’s), on my mobile phone’s contact list. I don’t know why I do, since I regularly delete people off of my contact list that I don’t communicate with. I just feel weird deleting them, and it makes me feel better that they will never be forgotten so long as my iCloud account doesn’t crash. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/2 "2012-11-16T21:02:44Z")
The only person I can think of who was on my contacts list and died was my mom. My dad gave her phone to my sister, so rather than delete her number, I just changed the name. If we hadn’t transferred the phone over, I would have deleted her number. Now that I’ve answered your question … an old boyfriend of mine once gave me his old phone, and I waited a while before deleting his contacts. His mom would call me sometimes, and of course she was simply saved in his phone as “Mom.” Boy, did I get the heeby-jeebies when she called me! ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/3 "2012-11-16T21:16:23Z")
So far everyone in my contact list is still alive and kicking. Some more than others. There is a Jesus in my contact list. I have no idea who it is and I’m afraid to call the number or delete it. 😕 😃 ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/4 "2012-11-16T21:29:45Z")
I recently pruned my contact list, and couldn’t help but notice that most of them had recently died. Man, that was depressing. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![jools](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@jools](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jools)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/5 "2012-11-16T21:31:42Z")
No I have a friend who died in June and at the end of August I deleted her from my contact list. Though nobody deleted her FB profile and I cannot delete it from my list, for some reason I feel guilty when I think about deleting her. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/6 "2012-11-16T21:36:11Z")
I think non-deleting is sweet. I don’t have any experience to go on though. The creepy thought I have is that the number will be reassigned and there is a teeny tiny chance that that number eventually calls you. If you don’t delete the number, you might get a bit of a scare. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/7 "2012-11-16T22:23:17Z")
I too have a close friend that died way too young that is still in my contact list. Whenever I see his name while I am scrolling through my contacts I remember the fun times we had. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/8 "2012-11-16T22:37:28Z")
Shouldn’t be an issue unless at some point you start believing the number still works. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/9 "2012-11-16T23:03:12Z")
My mom is still in my contacts, but I took her off speed dial. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/10 "2012-11-16T23:15:28Z")
> [@jools](#): > > No > > I have a friend who died in June and at the end of August I deleted her from my contact list. Though nobody deleted her FB profile and I cannot delete it from my list, for some reason I feel guilty when I think about deleting her. My mom died in the middle of September, and she’s still in my phone. Not sure when or if I’ll delete it. She’s also on my Facebook; there is a mechanism to report deceased FB timelines for “memorialization” [here](https://www.facebook.com/help/150486848354038/); if you can find a URL to an obituary for your friend, you can try this out… not sure if they will accept your report, as they may prioritize family, but it’s worth trying. I’ll find out soon if they’ve accepted my request. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/11 "2012-11-16T23:32:15Z")
[George Carlin (RIP) gave 'em six weeks.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8zNyxqLiyg) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/12 "2012-11-16T23:33:54Z")
No, they never call. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/13 "2012-11-16T23:37:15Z")
Sadly, I have my now-deceased co-author (of my first book) on contacts, but the more disturbing part is that I have about a half-dozen ex-girlfriends on there, too. These are mostly women I dated briefly, nothing serious, but a couple with whom I had long and serious relationships. I often think “Yeah, take them off contacts–they are the last people on earth I want to make a butt-call to. Do it NOW!!!” but I never do. I think I like looking at their names. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/14 "2012-11-17T01:09:50Z")
I still have my cousin/pal in my phone book. She died a few months ago at 33 years old, and like david, I was pruning my contacts list (an embarrassing text mishap will do force you to do that), came across her name, and left it there. I just couldn’t delete it. So if you’re weird, I guess so am I. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/15 "2012-11-17T01:47:11Z")
My Dad’s in my contacts. He died in October of 2007. He’s not leaving the contacts. People who tell you you’re creepy because you miss your dead father can go suck eggs. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/16 "2012-11-17T01:52:03Z")
I deleted some dead contacts a while back, but I can’t bring myself to delete my brother, who died in 2010. ---
**Author:** ![AnaMen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@AnaMen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnaMen)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/17 "2012-11-17T01:52:08Z")
I just deleted my mom and she died 2 years ago. I felt awful doing it, but I also felt awful seeing her listed there and knowing I couldn’t call her. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/18 "2012-11-17T02:04:54Z")
My grandparents are still in there and they (both) died in 2003. I can’t do it. Also a friend who was killed in a car accident in 2004 is still there too, but presumably her husband and son still have the number since they still live in the same house. One or two people I’ve told this to get all squealy and freak out, so I quit mentioning it. \ ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/19 "2012-11-17T02:53:11Z")
No. It’s nowhere near the same, but when I lived abroad, people who left the country would have a one month or so shelf life on my phone. It would be pretty sad deleting someone, but it’s a part of the moving on process. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242/20 "2012-11-17T03:23:08Z")
> [@Student\_Driver](#): > > My mom died in the middle of September, and she’s still in my phone. Not sure when or if I’ll delete it. My dad took his mom’s number out of his phone right after she died (probably within minutes). He figured he either had to do it right away or he’d never be able to do it. I had a salesman’s phone number in my phone. He died very unexpectedly. New sales guy assigned to my route had the same name and I, IMHO, found it amusing to just just change the number in my phone instead of deleting the old contact and creating a new one. When I moved all my contacts to my new phone, the old number came back. I noticed it as I was dialing. HOW I noticed it, I’m not sure, but I did. I have no idea what either of their numbers are. I think the old one was in as Johnny [Company Name] and the new one is in as John [Company Name] and I may have caught the Johnny part as I hit dial. I hung up right away since I wasn’t sure if his wife may have had the phone at that point. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-keep-dead-people-on-your-phones-contact-list/641242.md?page=2)