When it's an accident or medical, people usually are very forthcoming with that information. If it was an accident or foul play, that would be reported in the media. If someone dies in a car accident, it usually makes the local news, and if it doesn't people are usually open about it so people don't suspect the unsavory deaths. Same for murder victims, although the media usually covers that. The only other ones that families tend to keep under wraps is drug overdose or autoerotic asphyxiation, which I guess I hadn't considered and probably should have before assuming suicide.
Maybe its because I'm curious like a cat, but I always want to know what happened to people. Two people I went to college with died and I never was able to track down answers and it's always bugged me.