'Diefenbaby' George Dryden dead at 47

TORONTO – George Dryden, who spent years trying to prove he was the son of former prime minister John Diefenbaker, has died.

A longtime friend says the 47-year-old Dryden killed himself in Burlington, Ont., on Sunday.

Dryden told The Canadian Press last week he was suffering from terminal pancreatic disease.

He blamed alcohol abuse for his illness.

Dryden, who bore a strong resemblance to Diefenbaker, was stunned to learn a few years ago that the man he always thought he was his father was not.

A relative told him of the long family rumour that he was, in fact, Diefenbaker’s love child.