I believe people should be allowed to grieve in their own way. You say they were very close in life and perhaps that is how he prefers to remember him as alive and vibrant. I did not go to the funeral of someone I loved very dearly but had prayers with the vicar in the Chapel of Rest. It is what you do in life that is more important. Too many come out of the woodwork too late when a person has passed on. We do not know the brother's personal circumstances. I am sure as they were so close the deceased brother would fully understand his brother's feelings.
Yes, it means a lot to the rest of the family. When my uncle didn't come to my grandfather's funeral the family pushed him out. My uncle was not even really related. So a actual brother should definitely go to the funeral
That is a difficult question to answer, which, I suppose, is the reason you have asked it here. If it is financially possible and not a hardship, I would say, yes. It would give the brother an opportunity to have interaction with other relatives that he may (or may not have) lost contact with. It is an opportunity to say his good byes to his sister and have closure on that relationship. It would give his support to his relatives that do feel a great loss due to her death. Many, I am sure, would say that it is the respectful thing to do, no matter the circumstances, she is still her brother's sister. No matter how far apart the brother and sister have grown over the years, I would imagine that there is still love in place. The bother needs to have an opportunity to grieve and say good-bye, I would think. If he did not attend the funeral he may, in later years, regret it.
