That could not happen in the UK . I doubt if it could in the States either. You can't libel the dead--that is the law, certainly here.
Yes, we're all entitled to our opinion. I did say IMHO.
IMHO opposition to the semi-colon stems from the large numbers of people--including would-be writers --who don't understand how they should be used.
Relentless reading is the key to good grammar in my experience.
In British common law, you can't libel a dead person and a libel action dies with the death of that person. Have no legal fears about writing...
Separate names with a comma.