but gosh--there must be something so wonderful about her that Terry Dean Martin (the patient) has been separated from her for nine years and is still legally married to her--while she has been living with another man! on top of that, she is believed to still be his beneficiary! this guy is nuts, or still madly in love with her... or what else could it be? it is not like he was in good health--thinking time was on his side...
He could be religious. I know of a few people in situations where the spouse left, yet feel they can not divorce the other party.