The following is an excerpt from “Wills of the Rich & Famous: A Fascinating Glimpse at the Legacies of Celebrities” by Herbert E. Nass, Esq.
DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH
July 10, 1943
Richmond, Virginia
DATE AND PLACE OF DEATH
February 6, 1993
New York, New York
Tennis great and humanitarian Arthur Ashe died from AIDS in February of 1993 at the age of 49, and was survived by his wife, Jeanne Moutoussamy and their 6 year old daughter named Camera. (Her name was a reference to the career as a photographer of Mrs. Ashe).
Ashe’s 1990 Will specifically bequeathed all of his trophies, of which there were many, to his daughter Camera. However, that bequest specifically excluded all of the solid “gold tennis balls” owned by Ashe at the time of his death. Court records indicate that Ashe’s multi-million dollar estate included gold bullion worth over $110,000.
The balance of Ashe’s tangible property was bequeathed as follows:
I give and bequeath the balance of the tangible personal property owned by me at my death, and not effectively disposed of pursuant to the provisions of sub-paragraph A(1) of this Article II, including, but not limited to, household effects (such as furniture, furnishings, silver and objects of art), clothing, jewelry, books, camera, sporting equipment, automobiles and all other articles of personal or household use or ornament, together with any insurance thereon, to my wife, JEANNE MARIE MOUTOUSSAMY (herein referred to as “my wife”), if my wife survives me. If my wife does not survive me, I give and bequeath one-half (½) of such tangible personal property (either in kind or after sale and conversion into cash, as my Executors may determine) to my daughter, if she survives me, and I give and bequeath one-half (½) such tangible personal property (either in kind or after sale and conversion into cash, as my executors may determine) to such of my brothers and sister (namely, ROBERT K. ASHE, JOHNNIE E. ASHE and LORETTA ASHE HARRIS) as survive me, in such shares of substantially equal value as my Executors shall determine.
Arthur Ashe’s Will also highlights what a sensitive and sensible person he was, and also how important education was to him. For example, in his Will, the terms of the trust for his daughter provides that certain payments to her were to be conditioned upon her obtaining a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. The Will was structured as follows so that Camera had a good reason to obtain her college degree as soon as possible:
My Trustees shall accumulate and add to the principal of such trust any balance of such net income not so paid or applied. When my daughter shall have attained the age of twenty-five (25) years, if she shall have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (or if at the time property is to be disposed of under this paragraph C, my daughter shall have attained at lease such age, but not the age of thirty (30) years, and she shall have earned such a degree, then, at such time), my Trustees shall pay over and distribute to my daughter, outright and free of trust, one-half (½) of the then-remaining principal and undistributed income, if and, of such trust. When my daughter shall have attained the age of thirty (30) years, if my daughter shall have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, said trust shall terminate and my Trustees shall pay over and distribute to my daughter, outright and free of trust, all then-remaining principal and undistributed income, if any, of said trust. When my daughter shall have attained the age of thirty (30) years, if my daughter shall have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, my Trustees shall pay over and distribute to my daughter, outright and free of trust, only one-half (½) of the then-remaining principal and undistributed income, if any, of said trust. At such time as my daughter shall have attained the age of thirty-five (35) years, said trust shall terminate, and my Trustees shall pay over and distribute to my daughter, outright and free of trust, all then-remaining principal and undistributed income, if any, of said trust.
The following family members were also important to Ashe and would have shared in his estate if his wife did not survive him:
ROBERT K. ASHE, Brother
LORETTA ASHE HARRIS, Sister
JOHNNIE E. ASHE, Brother
JOHN III MOUTOUSSAMY, Wife’s nephew
DAVID MOUTOUSSAMY, Wife’s nephew
ANGELLE MOUTOUSSAMY, Wife’s niece
VERONICA MOUTOUSSAMY, Wife’s niece
I appoint my wife, JEANNE MARIE MOUTOUSSAMY, to serve as sole Executor hereof. In the event that at any time and for any reason my wife fails to become or ceases to be Executor hereof, I appoint DONALD L. DELL, of Washington, D.C., to serve as substitute or successor sole Executor hereof.
Arthur Ashe’s death states that his death was due to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome as a consequence of “Blood Transfusion during coronary bypass surgery for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular disease in 1983”. It is ironic and tragic that an athlete with a very big heart died from an infection of that heart.
/s/ Arthur Robert Ashe
Will dated August 31, 1990
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