My sister was studying abroad when my grandfather died. She was in Spain. My parents did not let her know I told she finished the semester. We all went to visit her after the semester for a week or so and one day they pulled her aside and let her know. It happened in March she missed the funeral and all of that stuff. The other grandmother years earlier had breast cancer and needed surgery. This was before my sister and I existed. My parents were on a trip to London. That grandmother did not tell my parents about her surgery until they got back so if anything bad happened they could enjoy their trip without worrying. That grandmother made it through and died of a different cancer like 25 years later. I'm a little torn but I think that ultimately I'd want to know and would be annoyed if that had been held from me. Like I can see the logic of it, but exams and trips can be rescheduled but you can't say goodbye to someone after they're gone.