Frontier offers "Classic Plus" tickets which are fully-refundable/changeable and waive all the other fees, for a relatively small premium over standard Economy (20-50% more based on what I've seen while booking). The "legacy" carriers generally require a full "Y" fare for this, which can double or triple the cost. So-called "bereavement" fares (which many legacies and other airlines are dropping, or have already dropped), usually offer only a small % discount off of full "Y" fares, meaning that a Frontier "Classic Plus" ticket will usually be cheaper, and just as flexible. Offering this class of ticket is something that really sets Frontier apart from any other airline, and for the OP's situation, would have been the appropriate type of ticket to book.

It is certainly nice of Alaska Airlines to have a policy (whether Official or Unofficial) of offering free changes in this type of unfortunate situation, however do note that Alaska, along with the Legacies, is losing money fast. Frontier just today posted another significant operating profit, their fifth in as many months. I would rather give my business to an airline which is doing well and satisfies my needs for the fortunate 99%+ of the time when I travel for normal reasons, than to an airline which is not doing well but offers additional perks on the extremely rare occasion that I travel due to more tragic reasons, at which time frankly, price would be the least of my concerns.