Rob,
I am sorry for your loss, and I will pray for you and your friend's family.
All,
Heart disease takes way too many lives much too early. Three years ago I almost died from a heart attack here is a link to the details:
My Heart Attack Experience
Please follow the link, check out the American Heart Association links at the bottom of the post, and become familiar with the signs of a heart attack. A lot of guys (we all think we are tough, right?) have symptoms of a heart attack and dismiss it as nothing serious, and sadly die from it (my dad is included in that group).
My recommendations are:
1) If you have severe symptoms, do not wait to call 911 (if I had waited another 15 minutes to call, I would have died).
2) If you have mild symptoms, get checked by a doctor as soon as possible.
3) Even if you have no symptoms and are 40-50 years old, especially if you have a family history that includes heart disease, be proactive and have some tests done to check your heart. Because my dad died from a heart attack, my family doctor had me undergo an MRI exam that looks for blockages in the coronary arteries (I think the test is called a "Calcium Score" or something like that). By the way, I felt great and had no symptoms until about 30-45 minutes prior to my heart stopping; fortunately the paramedics were able to get it beating again.
If you have family and/or friends you care about, get serious about this and be checked by a doctor. Take care!