Death keeps no calendar.

Death cannot be relied on to arrive at a predictable time. No date or plan can guarantee that a person will live until then.

The proverb is a reminder that life is uncertain. It can encourage someone to value the time they have rather than assume there will always be another opportunity.

Use it when reflecting on an unexpected death or urging someone not to postpone an important act indefinitely. Its subject is grave, so it may sound too blunt in a conversation with someone who has just been bereaved.