I wouldn't have brought the subject up at all (in response to this particular piece of news), if I wanted to avoid offense. Cryonics is a heavily politicized issue. By mentioning it at all, you're doing the equivalent of starting a debate about libertarianism in the middle of a funeral.
Of course, avoiding the issue might kill people. Just remember that killing people quietly is generally less bothersome than yelling loudly, especially on the Internet.
It's not particularly hard to start debates about libertarianism in places that are not the middle of a funeral. Let's do that.
Having been diagnosed with cancer last year, writer Christopher Hitchens has died. He was known as as an outspoken atheist, which is not, in itself, identical to being a committed rationalist in any systematic way. Even so, he seemed to have the virtue of moral courage, the willingness to speak the truth as he saw it, without fear.