I attend a Conservative / traditional shul. Primarily because of neighborhood demographics (the neighborhood is now largely Orthodox), we have tremendous problems forming a daily minyan. It seems that on weekdays, the main reason a person will regularly attend minyan is if he is mourning or has yahrtzeit for a parent. We almost "joke" that we hope someone's parent will die soon, so that he can help form the minyan.
I've seen this phenomenon occur commonly in other Conservative shuls, and it seems to happen far more in non-Orthodox shuls, from my observation. I've spoken to a few friends in different parts of the U.S. as well as two congregational rabbis, and they have noticed a similar pattern.
"It seems that non-Orthodox people see the importance of the minyan only when there's death, rather than as a part of daily living," remarked one rabbi. I see his point, somewhat. But, I can't explain why that is?
Can anyone explain why only death attracts people to come more regularly to the minyan? Do these people form a sense of "guilt" if they didn't honor their mom or dad by saying Kaddish or hiring someone to say it for them?