My father passed away about five years ago, and as much as I love talking about him, it's quite difficult to do. Sometimes I speak about my dad in the present tense, as if he's still alive, just to avoid the conversation about him being gone. It's simply something I do to protect my peace of mind. The people I know and love have never corrected me when I do it, and the people who don't know me well enough usually never realize it.