Very sad. Poor family :(

Just remembered teh worst manifestation of my dad's celebrity-worship. There is a property in the next town that he developed into a hotel-restaurant. The restaurant is one of the highest quality in the county. When we were there, my dad excitedly asked the waitress how often Hendricks ate there (and then told her his brush-with-fame stories, including digressions to still more brushes with fame that had nothing to do with the man or the restaurant and kept the waitress from hitting other tables).

The irony is that Hendricks was a regular guy who preferred holes in the wall (and one nearby diner/tavern in particular). He knew the value of a good restaurant as a business, but it wasn't where he would hang out.

My mom, by contrast, hates rich people for their money. Sheesh.

Anyway, depending on how probate works out, his wife may take over his spot on the Forbes list. Mostly, he didn't want his kids to be saddled with wealth -- he wanted them hungry and creative, like himself.

So, I've deliberately made him a role model. That's MY complex.