That is very sad and sounds like a truely tragic way to go.
Having said that, the other thing that occurs to me reading it is that he seems to have remember to say and do all the right things - it would have been much more tragic to have gone without telling the people you care about you are proud of them and to hug them from time to time.
I wish the family and friends well and hope the daughter never does remember the event.
I was told once that people never really die as long as at least one other person remembers them, I guess I've always believed this.