Gandalf's body almost certainly did die, but his Maiar spirit which was incarnated in that body probably did not. His spirit would have tried to (and probably did) return to the west, but was sent back to re-inhabit the fallen (human) body so that he could complete his mission. As a Maiar, I'm not sure that it is possible to actually kill gandalf. However as an Istari, he inhabited a human body that could be slain (note that this is different than if he had formed his own body like Maiar normally did. That is why Sauron reforms his body whenever he is defeated).
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