> keep the deceased’s phone number active for a while

I wish I had known this. After my father passed away a few years ago, I had a password list but some accounts required 2FA, and unfortunately I didn't have access to his phone. It locked me out of some services where I would have liked to have archived the data, like photos and posts.

At some point though, data is similar to material possessions - someone has to spend the effort of keeping it archived and accessible. Eventually people move on and the data is either forgotten or lost. And it's OK to let it go, nothing lasts forever.