sounds like the real reason is that someone's not pulling their weight. the question becomes, was this person pulling his/her weight before this family affair?

sounds like the real reason is that someone's not pulling their weight. the question becomes, was this person pulling his/her weight before this family affair? i'm assuming this was a random, sudden change or was the mother sick, for example, during a long stretch and recently succumbed? what i'm guessing is that this was a long battle, the latter, and that he hasn't been himself for a long time. if you value his potential or previous contributions then put him on extended leave, even if he doesn't want to, and then deal with it by pushing harder or hiring people. if you're just using this recent development as a trigger then i think it's a bit more involved and you probably are regretful of having him in the first place, regardless of this most recent change or not, but perhaps dealing with some guilt due to the recent passing of his mother.