Cheryl, I am so sorry for your loss. You advice to others about being prepared is very wise, anyone could find themselves in the same situation...it happened in my family too. My brother died suddenly, 5 months after marrying the love of his life. He too had not taken care of the detail of updating his insurance beneficiary from his previous long time girl friend. In the end, after being allowed to attend my brother's funeral, the old girlfriend was told of the confusion...and decided to keep the money. It was very painful for all involved. It's awful to have to have those kind of discussions, but they save the surviving family members a lot of heartache. I'm so very sorry this happened to you.