DEAR ABBY: My uncle died recently. He had a brother and a sister. When somebody asks me how many uncles I have, what should I say? Is it once an uncle always an uncle? What if they ask my mom? What should she say? -- UNSURE IN CANTON, GA.
DEAR UNSURE: If you're asked how many uncles you have, reply, "I have one uncle who is living, and one who is deceased." If your mother is asked how many brothers she has, she should answer that she had two brothers, but one is no longer living.