i would greatly appreciate any input on the following issue from our retired marines (or active marines, i suppose, too) here on xmts:

a neighbor of mine has been separated from her 50 year old retired marine husband for about a year now. he's probably been out of the corps for 20 years. their recent separation has been amicable. sadly, yesterday the guy suffered a fatal heart attack. he has no family other than an estranged brother living in alaska who may or may not have interested in being involved in the funeral arrangements.
his widow (i guess she's still a widow even though they were seperated, not divorced) has a very limited income and the kicker is that it appears that he had no life insurance.

my question to you is this: to anyone's knowledge, assuming he was honorably discharged, is there a chance that my neighbor may be entitled to any type of death benefits that might offset funeral expenses or provide some support during this difficult time? and if so, where should i direct my neighbor to inquire about such support?

please know that i am in no way looking to help her exploit the system, i'm just trying to help a neighbor out in what i can only imagine to be a terrible time. my brother is a pilot in the army and i have the utmost respect for all of our active and retired members of the armed forces.

much thanks in advance.