Dear Alex,
Is it OK to announce someone’s death by sending a text?
Sending a death notice by text? Not on your life! Texting is for quick, informal communications. If it can possibly be avoided, it should never be used to convey sad or bad news. The more serious, emotional, or confrontational the issue, the less suited it is to electronic communications. If you need to announce a death, pick up the phone, write a letter, or go see the person face to face. You can also ask a close friend or relative to assist you with this.
An etiquette waiver would be granted if:
a) for practical reasons notice must be given at once and texting is the only means of communicating (e.g., you're about to board a long flight and you have to alert someone you can't reach to what happened); or
b) you’re passing along news of the death of someone in the public eye (e.g., OMG did u hear Robin Williams died?).