What records would you expect there to be that aren't there?

You seem to have no idea how obituaries work, you usually have to pay a newspaper to carry them, they aren't automatic, and if the news is published widely enough in the relevant communities why would you bother to pay for it? As for government records, vital records are often limited to people with an interest, such as family members, they aren't usually offered to the public. And why would such a person publish that record online? You might as well be claiming David Bowie didn't really die, I've never seen his death certificate.

Obituaries aren't official records, they're media statements. The official records are kept in a civil registry, which usually isn't open to the public until X years have passed (obviously this differs by nation; in NL, death records don't become public until after 50 years).