[Sukotto]

Interesting to compare/contrast this story with Richard Feynman's first marriage.

Here author Ari Diaconis chooses NOT to marry Dunia Rkein due to his illness, uncertain survival prospect, and not wanting to burden her with his long-term care (if he survived)

Compare to Feynman, who married Arline Greenbaum despite the fact that she had severe tuberculosis and only a slim chance to survive.

Similar, but different. (Of course)

I wonder, is it better to never marry, or to lose the spouse shortly afterward? Is it easier or harder depending on the gender of the survivor (in our era, not the 1940s)?

[Simon_says]

Not to mention Tuberculosis is transmissible when Ari's ailment presumably was not.

[tajen]

Depends if you’d give them your inheritance.

[icc97]

I think you're close to the point - but I don't think it's about money.

If you love someone and they're dying, being married to them especially in the 40s makes things a lot easier for handling their affairs both before and after they die.

There's so many laws even now that aren't fixed to handle when people aren't married.