IF Mass Effect truly is dead, will/should EA/Bioware even announce this?

BioWare haven't even announced whether Dragon Age will get a next installment, they won't here.

They don't have to when it's obvious it's being made.
www.google.ca/amp/www.eurogamer.net/amp/2017-05-19-writing-the-next-dragon-age

To answer OPs question which most people are avoiding, the best thing to do would be to wait for next gen graphics - maybe in a decade or so, then remaster the trilogy as one single release.

Swarm mentality whenever someone posts something negative...

I think ME is OK. People can have their subjectivity and opinion about their products, but as a continued franchise I still think it is OK.

If they have to draw down their development in order to make Anthem and DA successes, go for it. If they think its better to take a year or two to more passively review how they'll make the next game, go for it. There will still be Anthem updates and maybe sequel, and DA DLC/updates and such to care about in the meantime anyway. And I doubt a Next Mass Effect will change engine or jump to so huge new ambitions anyway - lets hope for refinements, polish, and better action made on the 'promise' presented by MEA (and in a way imo, ME3; but that's another discussion and personal view).

I can't say I'm any longer a positive Mass Effect fanatic (been years since that and MEA didn't make it better), but to me its still got life in it, at the very least enough that EA probably won't, and probably thinks it shouldn't have any 'death' announcements. A scaled down Montreal may just mean focused on DLC, support for Edmonton again, that sort of thing, instead of a jump towards following up on some gigantically successful (as in, it wasn't) MEA. For all we know at least.

I think they just want to give the series a bit of time to breathe (hopefully helped by what DLC makes happen, but we'll see) and go back to it. Maybe if there was no Anthem and there was only Dragon Age they'd be faster to a return. Maybe if MEA was a smash GOTY hit they'd be faster to return. Maybe not. But a death announcement is likely premature.

I guess Anthem could be hugely successful enough that the money people decide there's just no way ME should happen again and Bioware should devote almost everything to Anthem. Okay. (Even then, DA is IMO unlikely to be shut down so there's that chance to show people what RPG Bioware/2000s Bioware properties can still do.)

Personally, I think the fan base should just stop trying to tell Bioware how to run the business end of their business.  It's up to their Board of Directors what they decide to announce and when.  Bioware shouldn't have to coddle their fans all the time... Fans who do seem to be inordinately insecure.  It's like the fan base wants Bioware to raise their hand to ask every time the CEO might even be thinking about taking a P*ss.

its not the negativity its the flawed premise that bothers me.

It's almost like you didn't even read his post...

If you can't even handle the mere possibility of Andromeda being put out to pasture... Next few months/years are gonna be rough.

Its all good. I figured that I was going to get a bunch of, "but MEA is not dead!" post even though I made it clear in the OP that this isnt about debating if MEA is dead or not but rather a hypothetical situation IF MEA is dead, would we learn of this from EA/Bioware or will it be like KOTOR 3 and Jade Empire 2 where we most likely wont get those games, but Bioware will never admit it because they want to keep the door open for "just in case" scenarios.

Except SWTOR continues from KOTOR and when being made was refered by the developers as being KOTOR 3 - 8. It ties up loose story ends as well and is still having content produced for it. While some people may want a single player game, the IP is still being used. It's not really "dead" as it where, just evolved as something else.
(Note: if MMOs aren't your thing, it's fully possible to play SWTOR without doing any group content, if you just wanna see the story. Bioware rejigged it two (?) years ago so that exp rates where adjusted (a lot less grindy), heroics and any major story flashpoints solable etc.)