When Alan R. Dawe died in New York state in 2014, he left the residue of his estate, about $700,000, to the trustees of his “Dawe Family Trust” to expand his website devoted to Dawe family genealogy and to create an archive of family genealogical data, photos and heirlooms. Alan, who had never married and had no children, left a specific bequest to his brother Barry of his 13-year-old cat and $6000 for her care, but left nothing else to Barry, and nothing to his brother Rodger or any of his other relatives, “all of whom I love dearly.” He specified that there should be no testamentary gift to any of them. In order to avoid the states’ Rule Against Perpetuities, which could invalidate the...