Death Becomes “Him”: When The Men You’ve Met On Dating Apps Start To Die #elevendaysofspookyseason

By notoriouslysinglegirl, October 22, 2026

Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive – The risk to be alive and express what we really are.

Don Miguel Ruiz

A few weeks ago, I was at an Italian Festival in San Pedro California. As, I was walking down the street enjoying my fried calamari from the San Pedro Fish Market, I heard the announcer lady call out a familiar name in broken English : Mike Marino. He was dead.

I met Mike Marino on Match.com around 2005. We chatted on the phone. He told me he was an Italian comedian from New Jersey. I thought he was funny.

Mike invited me to see his comedy show in Long Beach. At the time, I was working a registry shift at a near by hospital. I was excited to see him perform on stage. His show was super good and funny. I remember it had something to do with an ax or was it a sledgehammer. Not sure.

After the show, we had our date. We sat and chatted and it seemed like the Mike Marino that was on stage was not the same person sitting in front of me. I felt he was cold and a bit rude.

A few years later, I saw him at another Italian festival holding hands with a much younger woman. And a few years after that, I noticed he was performing at the Comedy Store in Hollywood. I watched his show then went up to him to say “hello.” He shook my hand and thanked me for watching the show then turned around to say hello to someone else.

So when I googled him to find out what the cause of death was: brain tumor, frontal lobe, died in hospice care at the age of 59 years old, I was not surprised.

When the men you’ve met on dating apps start to die

Perhaps what’s stranger is the fact that I found out that “they’ve” died. Yes, they because there are at least 3 of them that I know of.

I mean, that was random. I’m walking down the street of an Italian festival and the name of a guy I use to know, a guy I met on a dating app, gets called out over a loud speaker.

It happens in 3’s

When someone dies, it usually happens in three’s. Maybe it’s a weird coincidence?

Another guy I once met on Bumble, I found out he passed away from an Instagram post my old hairdresser made. Yes, she knew him as well.

I remember he was an IT guy at a hospital. Took me out for dinner at his favorite Chinese restaurant in Montrose. He was more concerned with his orange flavored chicken than with getting to know me.

There was no connection but he insisted on walking me to my car. Tried to open the door. Then sent me a text saying there was no connection. I really hate when men you’re not vibing with do that.

He died of some type of cancer. Pancreatic I think. Makes sense since he was a quiet boring guy who could not express his emotions.

That, in itself, will give you cancer.

The third guy. Well, I’ve already written a blog post about him. I never wanted to go out with him but he wrote me a long email about himself. We met during Covid. He was also a nurse practitioner who worked for the group of doctors that I did.

We had 3 casual dates. Take out dinners since it was Covid. He was covered in tattoos head to toe. He told me stories of his time spent as a Buddhist monk somewhere near India. He told me during one of our dinners that he couldn’t see his life having any meaning past the age of 50.

After our 3 dates, he only responded to my texts if I asked him health care related questions. T

hen, a few days before Christmas my old medical assistant called to tell me he was the guy was found dead of an overdose in his home partying with another female.

Why did I find out

I find it rather odd that these 3 guys I randomly met online dating apps , had casual dates with and literally no other connections notified me of their deaths.

Yes I’m psychic. Yes I’m intuitive. But this is weird.

Maybe they just wanted me to know. Maybe we’ve had other past connections in past lives that were more meaningful and in this one our meetings were meant to be more casual kind of like an eye wink.

Seems like these guys lived big lives. Achieved goals that had meaning for them.

There’s the comedian who made it to Hollywood.

The IT guy who was a father to three beautiful females.

The Nurse Practitioner full of tattoos who served in the Navy, saved lots of lives, partied like a rock star, and spent 6 months in a Buddhist temple before his expiration date at 50 years old.

It’s just all a reminder to actually have the courage to “live” your life to the fullest. Take the risks. and enjoy the ride.

Because in the end we all must die.