I too hope Tickles hasn't drifted off below stairs. Tbh the twat's prob just changed his name and IP address.
Saying that, this is the 2016 death syndrome repeated.
You know, everying saying "**** off 2016!" Due to numbers of popular celebrities dying. As was said tho, we're at the years where many popular culture figures are going to buy it and we notice more due to them being famous through the increase in tv/radio/film output since the 50s/60s.
Social media is only going to get worse in that respect. Physically we know a hundred plus people? Online it's many hundreds. Even if it's just a screen name we see.
I know of a dozen Dr Who fans who died on a forum over the last ten years. May not seem much, but sadly will increase with time. Best get used to it I suppose.
Saying all that I still hope Tickles is still with us and will pop up and call us twats in the not to far future.