Eventually his father and uncle died of the habit, the former from emphysema, the latter from lung cancer.

FORBES: Tobacco-Free

My dad fought in the South Pacific and his brother, my uncle, died in a plane over Germany.

FORBES: The Noble Art of Self-Sacrifice

When his father died two years later, Li joined an uncle's watch company to help with his household's rent.

FORBES: Thoughts of Chairman Li

King's mother had died, and he'd gone to live with his uncle.

NPR: Building a Museum for B.B. King

Zhu's parents died when he was young, and he was raised by an uncle who gave his charge 100 pieces of silver when it came time for the young man to go to university.

CNN: Red star