A death noted

As much as I disliked, and puzzled over the popularity of, Sam de Brito's Fairfax career of over-sharing, I had noticed that he had started writing on topics other than himself, even though I had come to rarely read him.   But as it happens, I had read his last column about co-sleeping with his young daughter, and thought that he sounded like a very caring father.  So, of course it is sad for his family, and his daughter in particular, that he is gone.  (It's also been more than 4 years since I criticized him here, so I think it safe not to feel guilty about that.)

Oddly, the SMH report of his death specifically notes that it was not being treated as suicide or suspicious.    That seems an odd comment to make if there is to be a coroner's report, which I assume means they don't yet know the cause.

I see from another recent column (a lightweight one about on line dating - maybe he was still writing mainly about himself?)  that he referred to "swilling codeine and whiskey" at 2 am.   I wonder if that was serious, and will have anything to do with his death...*

Update:  the SMH says  "Sam de Brito was essentially a very private man."

Um, as far as I could make out, no.   It was exactly his lack of privacy which bothered me (at least in the context of making a living from it.  I once wrote if he wanted to be full of self disclosure, he could do it on Blogger - I couldn't understand why Fairfax would host it.)

*  just to be clear - I see that codeine and alcohol is definitely not a good idea.  Was it a joke, or a bit of confession that no one took seriously.