August 21, 1961 - Saskatoon

Death of a Patriarch

Wayne’s father passed away late last week. Already there are disputes over the sharing of his estate. Apparently the will has been changed to leave the lion’s share to the second wife, and I suspect she convinced him to do so. The thing is, we don’t know exactly how much money he has because the bank accounts have also been changed into her name. No one knows for sure exactly the extent of his wealth. There has been a dramatic falling-out between Wayne, the wife and the twin brother and his kids. He took the paltry sum she offered him and threw it back in her face. A huge rift has opened up between our families and I doubt it will get resolved anytime soon. On top of that she doesn’t seem to be in mourning at all.
My father-in-law saved quite a bit of money from his business ventures. It’s not my place to say this, but he wasn’t very generous to us. He never helped us when we were in trouble. He was generous with his friends, and he never raised his voice, but he never showed the kids any love. I think what his new wife is doing is shameful. All the times I saw them together I never saw any sign of affection from her. She says she’s going to use the money for travel. I suppose it’s none of my business anyhow.