Fred McQuire and George Martinez, both veterans, were married in July 2014 after 45 years together, but their marriage is not respected in Arizona. In recent years, both Fred and George battled life-threatening illnesses. George passed away on August 28, 2014 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Read more about the couple and the court case here.
Update, 9/12/14, 9 p.m.: Today, U.S. District Court judge John Sedwick ordered Arizona to issue a death certificate for George which shows him as married, with Fred the surviving spouse. Unfortunately, it seems that Fred will not be able to draw Social Security or veteran's benefits on George, because they were married for such a short time. But the court recognized that Arizona's marriage laws violate the constitutional rights of the couple. Full text of the ruling here.
1 comment:
Bless their hearts.
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