My dad who just died was related to a well-known family, should we have told em?

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Only a few years ago we found an old picture of our father during the wake of his own father. It was a very old black and white pic in which he was with his sister among others. When asked, he said they were his siblings as well on his father's side. They had a different mother. One of the men who were in it looked like someone who is a prominent figure in the Philippines. Some of our relatives started digging around and when my father heard about it he got mad and were told to stop meddling. Even so speculations were abound that it was indeed him. When he got hospitalized and was in semi conscious state, one relative asked him point-blank if ______ was his brother. My father nodded but when asked if we should contact them he said no, his brother will just get mad. His sister also claims the same thing. Let me tell you as well that our family tree on our father's side is unclear because they've gone through several changes with tbe surname. Our grandfather was from a different country who migrated here and changed his name after becoming a citizen. Our father also changed his surname and did not use his father's surname. So tracing our lineage is difficult. And other than the old pictures there were no proofs to setlle it once and for all. I believe they have not been in any contact since then as we which would be over 3 decades now. Do you think we should have told his "brother" about our father's death to give him a chanceto pay his last respects in case he wants to or was it right to honor what our dad wanted and let bygones be bygones?