You can tell a lot about a person by their reaction to the loss of such a tiny being. Many people would not have even noticed his passing.
I would bet he'd simply lived out his life - they don't live too long, you know. And they are uber tough. I've seen them crash into the house at mach five and shake it off. Yep, old age probably got him.
More will come - if you feed 'em, a whole lot more will come.