How much security is too much?

This post comes from my recent experiences in dealing with Apple's customer service department.  To be fair, I was very impressed with the Apple reps that I talked with.  But my positive impression went downhill as I dealt with some policies that seem to be overkill, in my opinion.  Here's the story:

Recently a couple in my church tragically lost their adult son.  In the process of sorting through his belongings, they came upon a computer, a couple of mobile phones, and his ipad.  Both his computer and iPad were password protected and they had no way to find out the password, so they brought them both to me.  

First, I took this Windows 7 laptop, created a reinstallation disk, and wiped out the computer.  They now have a decent laptop to use that they can fully access without all of their son's previous data.  

Then, I tried to work with the iPad.  They were unable to do much with it without the password, including updating apps, downloading new apps, or updating the OS.  After a little research online, I went against every fiber of my being and downloaded iTunes on my PC so I could reset the iPad to factory settings.  Surely this would allow them to sign in with their own Apple ID and get use out of this device.  Nope.  After restarting to factory settings, I couldn't even get into the iPad without putting in the original Apple ID and password.

Initially I thought this was pretty good security.  After all, if I'd have stolen this device, it would be unusable to me.  But this was a unique situation so I made the call to Apple for help.  After speaking with several representatives - which were all very nice - and being put on hold numerous times, a supervisor finally told me that all I needed was the Apple ID name and a copy of the death certificate, and they would reset the password.

Then, the day came that this couple came in with the death certificate, ready to send it to Apple and make this device usable again.  This time, the Apple supervisor said that we would not only need the certificate, but also a court order for reset.  What?!  These are the parents of a man who'd deceased.  It's obvious that this is not the case of a stolen iPad.

To make a long story a little less long, after speaking to a lawyer, the couple have given up.After speaking to Apple herself, the  lawyer said it wouldn't be worth the trouble of getting all they need to unlock the iPad to continue. 

Isn't this a bit much?  While I understand and appreciate a company protecting its customers, this is not protection.  It's bad customer service, and bureaucratic nonsense.  And so it sits.  Yet another reason I don't buy from Apple.  

What do you think?  When is security going too far?