understanding a translation

[dmt1955]

"Il resto della vita lo passo ad Ariano, dove visse da solo fino al 1992 (la moglie e la figlia raffaella erano mancate rispettivamente nel 1983 e nel 1978)."

this is my translation:
the rest of life is spent in ariano where he lived until 1992 (his wife and daughter raffaella had been missing respectively in 1983 and in 1978.


Does this translate literally into missing -- as in one day in 1978 raffaella is home, the next day she is gone - vanished. then in 1992 the same happens with the wife?

thanks,
donna

[dmt1955]

sorry....it should read that the wife went missing in 1983, not 1992.

donna

[Italysearcher]

'Missing' in this context usually means 'died'.

[dmt1955]

thanks for clarifying this, ann. i first thought what a terrible ordeal to twice befall a family -- someone vanishes! it is an interesting way of describing a death.

donna