Jim, you remarked earlier that "the mirrors and shiny surfaces in the room were all covered". I found that interesting because it appears in other cultures also. When I was about 13 or 14 I went to a friend's house and the mirrors were covered. I asked why, and he informed me it was a customary in households that were 'sitting shiva'. I found out later that it was a common but not ubiquitous practice among peoples all over the world. Input like yours makes looking into this stuff one heck of a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. Best to you.