His friend's mother died

The Complete and Total Loser's friend's mother died this morning. Very sad, but the Loser never met her. He's sorrier for his friend than for his dead mother. 
She died of lung cancer after smoking for decades. Just a coincidence, probably. 
Yesterday the Loser went to a Hallmark store in search of a sympathy card. They're awful. Trite, stupid messages. He couldn't find blank ones. He did in another store a few years ago. Advice: If you ever find a simple sympathy card, like one that just says "Sympathy" on the outside and is blank inside, by a handful of them and put them someplace where they'll be easy to find. 
The Loser settled on a set of cards that simply had the initial of his last name on the outside and were blank inside. In other words, not a sympathy card. His own words will convey that.