Sorry to hear of the death of your friend, Ebbie.

Just realize that if there were NO coincidences, that would be even more weird, wouldn't it? Random coincidences are just a pattern. Humans have "pattern seeking" brains. We like to look at things and read more meaning into them, but that is just a result of our ability to have big imaginations. I have had two near death experiences. If I wanted to interpret what I experienced I could come up with all kinds of ideas. I don't. There is a good book on this topic:
Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer

Alice