For those who responded helpfully, my sincere thanks ! For those who assumed I eat human flesh, strangle kittens, and assist in the violation of the privacy of a deceased person, and used my post to rant-and-spew, I have no words, only disgust. fyi: my respect for the deceased, and his grieving brother, is a compelling reason for omitting details of context that are tragic. My specific mention of "resolve any question of ownership," in my OP, should have been enough to indicate issues of ownership/estate/inheritance were being addressed. i have been active in efforts to raise awareness of, and support, advocacy for online privacy by organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation for years.
«The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled» Plutarch