a guy i knew drowned a few years back, grew up a couple blocks away from me. he was a year older but we had similar friends in high school.
knew his name starting when i was probably 6, and we were somewhat friends in late high school. he went to university and eventually so did i. i read about him drowning in the paper, and i oddly felt nothing about it.
another guy died of a heart complication, went to high school with him but never spoke to him. i think i lack a certain part of human compassion, unless i am really close to someone, i have no real problem accepting death.
sorry for your loss adam, everyone deals with things differently. sometimes i find it helps to force yourself to feel something, just so it won't dwell in your mind.