Driving back to the hotel, I pondered what I would do in the same
situation. When my Mom was dying, I made two-dozen flights to
Wisconsin, in all sorts of weather -- some of it less than optimal VFR.
When duty calls, you push the envelope a bit. [...]

Around 4 PM, I heard him take Runway 25, and launch into a leaden gray
sky. Conditions were 1000 OVC, visibility 5 miles, and mist. He
departed the area to the south. [...]

... as he struggled to address the conflicting needs of an
ill mother-in-law while trying to keep her daughter alive.
For days after they departed, I watched the FAA's accident website,
expecting the worst. Thankfully, nothing ever appeared, and I suspect
they survived, literally on a wing and a prayer.

It's a tough situation to be in, on either end of it. Some things are not worth the risk, and some things are. "Pilot in command" is a big responsibility. You can't make the call for another, unless they really appear to not be able to make a reasoned call in the first place. At least the area is relatively flat, and visibility was relatively good under the scud. Stakes were high all around (though as always it could be argued that a commercial flight, or a rental car, would have been safer and gotten them there more quickly than waiting for the weather)

Jose
--
There are more ways to skin a cat than there are cats.
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