A while back we shared some news about the estate of the deceased automotive design legend Carroll Shelby. You may recall that the 89-year-old Shelby passed away back in May leaving behind a widow, 64-year-old Cleo Shelby.

Cleo was of the mind that she had the right to direct the final arrangements because she was the wife of the deceased at the time of his death. She wanted to bury Shelby.

Carroll Shelby had three children before he married Cleo. They were able to present estate planning documents that were signed by their father and witnessed that stated his desire to be cremated rather than buried. He also included directions regarding how he wanted his ashes distributed after the cremation.

Cleo and the Shelby children were unable to come to any type of agreement at first and the final arrangements were put on hold as the legal machinery went into motion.

Now we are hearing that the dispute has been settled. As it turns out the body of Carroll Shelby will be cremated. The ashes will be shared equally among the three children and Cleo Shelby with a fifth equal share being buried in a family plot back in the former race car driver’s hometown of Leesburg, Texas.

There is a practical takeaway here: take the time to gather all interested parties together to let them know what your wishes are. This is a good way to make sure there are no misunderstandings and nip potential future disputes in the bud before they happen.

Larry Parman
Author, President and Founding Attorney
Parman & Easterday