He had cirrhosis of the liver it seems. Sad, and explains his absence for a number of years.
Would that due due to a drinking problem or is it something you can just be unfortunate enough to get ?
Cirrhosis is a complication of liver disease which involves loss of liver cells and irreversible scarring of the liver. Alcohol and viral hepatitis B and C are common causes of cirrhosis, although there are many other causes.