While I’m not aware of such a rule (and it could just be that I’ve never been exposed to it), and I think I can see why this may be aggravating, the use of red for those headlines is consistent with the rest of the site’s design - all articles have headings that are red.

Speaking strictly from a usability perspective, it would be bad practice to suddenly change the color of the headings/link (since those listed obituaries actually link to the individual post), because the visitors to the site would have to re-adjust the new color scheme.

I’m certain this wasn’t the answer you were hoping for, but I hope it helps at least clarify what the thought process behind the decision might have been.

The “logic” for links on the whole site is using dark red as the font color, that’s why.

>I am aggrevated every time I read that page, and have decided that the reason goes way back to the “rule” that one never uses red type when designing for doctors, dentists, medical things, etc.

I’m generally with you, this does not fit. Especially in this brutish, bold Verdana style.
But what to do – changing the font color for ALL links is the possibility or remain “red”. Otherwise it’s not a good usability, if you just change font color for the medical field on this site.

Edit: panpainter posted nearly the same at the time i wrote this.

Off topic, but this reminds me of a common (but false) folk explanation for the Korean superstition where one is not supposed to write names in red ink—that red ink was traditionally reserved for writing the names of the dead. I remember being told by other children that writing a name in red meant that person would die.

I’ve heard the actual reason for this taboo is that the First Emperor of China reserved the right to have one’s name written in red for himself and had anyone else who dared to write one’s name in red ink put to death.

I agree with poms.

The designer should be very lazy for not realize that.