I hope this isn’t to much subtlety for you, but he sued the estate, of which the widow was executrix or personal representative. That is one of the big functions of a personal representative - to represent the estate of the decedent and stand in the for the decedent in any actions that are underway at the time of the decedent’s passing. It happens all the time, every day in every state. It wasn’t something out of rudeness or intended to offend his family, it is simply the case that you have to name a defendant/respondent, and in the matter of an estate, that is the personal representative. Other than the fact that this matter had way too much publicity, it was nothing out of the ordinary.
“...I hope this isn’t to much subtlety for you, ...”
No need for sarcasm.
I appreciate your explanation.