John tells Sam that before Mary died, both kids had had college funds into which John put money every month

Ooh, good point. I had forgotten about that.

The impression I get is that John started out working class, then worked his way up to middle-class, first by going into the Marines, then by owning his business.


If I had to choose (we don't have enough evidence to be completely sure), that's the version that seems most likely to me.