Is Alec Ryder really dead?

It may not have even been Cora and Liam who made the rescue. An evac shuttle from the Nexus is the only way they got offworld. It probably picked them all up. Who knows where Cora and Liam ended up after the vault was activated. Or do we actually see them after?

Alec didn't have a helmet and was choking on toxic air. He didn't have a way out. Ryder barely survived brief exposure. And SAM would know if he were alive, unless Alec programmed him not to, meaning he planned in advance to fake his death in some way at some point.

It might be a little weird that Ryder never asks to see him, but grief is weird like that. There is no one way people respond, to the point it isn't even worth wondering about or having expectations.

Not having a memorial service, though? That is odd. Maybe it was held while Ryder slept. I think it was a pretty long nap, but I don't remember the conversation. I could understand them not wanting to put it in the game. Way too hard to make sure you do it well. It could easily be boring or overdone or unintentionally funny.

Not to mention, him being alive would cheapen some of the best parts of the game, from the memories to interactions with your sibling.

Ryder sees Cora and Liam looking down on him. It's his last conscious moment on Habitat 7. He doesn't see Alec, but looking in that direction he couldn't have. I have no idea where the OP got the idea that Alec disappeared.

The shuttle at the rendezvous site was operational; they were only grounded because of the lightning storm. It was presumably the one they all got off-world with. But really, every surviving member of the team, including Harry would have to be in on it, or else they'd just say they never found the body. SAM isn't really a factor since Alec can just program it to say whatever he wants it to. But really, faking his death would've been dumber than anything that actually happens in the game, since he couldn't possibly hatch a viable scheme with all these crazy unknowns that he had no way to plan in advance for, like the scourge, the kett or the exiles. 

As for a ceremony, I don't think that would've been necessary. If I was going to actually have the body, I'd just have Ryder [optionally] visit wherever the Hyperion would actually keep the bodies of any casualties, like if Harry were to direct him/her to just look over it and have some brief dialogue about it. They probably would have just put him in an unused pot to store until he can get a burial somewhere. Doubtful he'd get the Aliens funeral with chucking him into space. 

Dead as disco.

Well, if he did fake his own death, then this probably would have been revealed in some future DLC.

So - yeah - he's dead...

When you introduce coming back from the dead into your universe with The Lasarus Project as canon, it's a legimate question as we never see a body. In fiction, 9/10 times if you don't see a body there's a good chance there still alive.

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Yet
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I wonder if they recovered the body?

I would've liked my Ryder to ask to see her/his fathers body after learning he died. 

Why did Carlyle say "he died like a hero" instead of giving a straight answer when asked how Alec died?

Something something triggered snowflake.

Yes, dude be dead.

I'm a bit confused. What's the actual bad writing supposed to be here?

the man is dead.
Question is , does anyone have the mean and wish in Andromeda to bring him back a la Shepard?

Did the shuttle pick up Fisher first or after getting Ryder? Did they recover Kirkland's body?