That doesn't seem quite accurate to me. I think fear of death generally revolves around a fear of loss, not a fear of pain or illness. Death represents the loss

That doesn't seem quite accurate to me. I think fear of death generally revolves around a fear of loss, not a fear of pain or illness. Death represents the loss of your every possession, every opportunity, your contact with loved ones, unresolved guilt, unattained dreams, etc.. It is an absolute state of loss, and given how extremely loss-aversive humans generally are, a fear of death seem to naturally follow.