This is quickly becoming a pet peeve of mine

I'm sure you've all noticed that when some dies, many people say, "he or she passed". Why is this? Are people afraid to say "died"? As in "he died" or "she died".

I was talking with a friend and I asked about his aunt (notice how differently that is pronounced too..."long" a in aunt. I always pronounced it "ant".), he said, "Oh yeah, she passed about a year ago." What was she in a Euchre tournament and died at the table?

Why are we afraid of the word died? It has a very specific meaning; "passed" doesn't. Does using "passed" somehow reflect on not believing in God?

If you can, clue me in here about what's going on?

I remember when I was a kid, my mother told me that grandma died; and then later, she was on the phone with a relative speaking and my mother said (about my grandmother's death), "We lost her". I ripped into the kitchen and yelled to her "you lied to me, mother, you said she was dead".