Yes, there is a version where Pa Kent's death is not a formative part of Clark's life. Pa Kent's death isn't even the DOMINANT version outside of the Donner/Reeve films. Pre-Crisis, both Kents simply died of old age in the comics and Post-Crisis, they lived on for over 20 years to be there for Superman/Clark when he needed them. New 52 reverted to the Pre-Crisis version, but the death of Pa Kent as a particularly formative and life-changing experience is strictly Donner/Smallville/All-Star/Geoff John's Brainiac. So no, it IS NOT "the Superman story".