Cause of Steve Jobs' death revealed

The immediate cause of Steve Jobs’ death was respiratory arrest, according to a death certificate released yesterday by the The Santa Clara County Public Health Department in San José, California.

A “metastatic pancreas neuroendocrine tumor” was listed as the underlying cause.

No autopsy was performed.

Mr Jobs (56) was first diagnosed with the rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2003, and underwent a liver transplant in 2009 after the cancer spread.

His time of death is listed on the certificate as 3pm, October 5 (October 6 New Zealand time), the same day it was announced to the public.

Mr Jobs died at his home in Palo Alto, California, the certificate said.

The Apple co-founder was buried at a non-denominational cemetary on Friday (Saturday NZ time) after a small private funeral.

His company plans to host a wider memorial service and celebration of his life on October 19 (October 20 NZ time).

Family divided
Yesterday the Wall Street Journal revealed Mr Jobs biological father - Syrian-born Abdulfattah "John" Jandali, the general manager of a casion in Reno, Nevada - was never reunited with his son.

Mr Jandali and Steve Jobs' mother, Joanne Simpson (née Schieble), an American of Swiss and German ancestry, put their baby up for adoption after Ms Schieble's parents objected to their proposed marriage.

He was adopted by Paul Jobs, a high school drop-out who worked as a machinist, and Clara Jobs, who never finished university (Steve Jobs also dropped out of college before going on to co-found Apple).

Mr Jandali is also the father of celebrated novelist Mona Simpson, the Journal said. 

Ms Simpson - whom, like her late brother, is estranged from her father - is the author of Anywhere But Here, adapted into a 1999 movie of the same name starring Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman.

Mr Jobs reunited with his mother and sister, but never mentioned his biological father in public, according to the Journal. The paper quotes Mr Jandali saying he sent several emails to his son over the past year. They were not returned.