Difficult situation.
I have flown with people that went solo after 160 hrs, passed their PPL check ride with 240 hrs and went on to successfully complete an instrument rating and
and a Multi engine rating (VFR only).
They went on to buy an airplane, but they followed our advise and fly with a professional pilot. They are safe in a single engine VFR. They should never fly in actual IMC without supervision.
Do they intend to be career pilots? Absolutely not, they did it for the fun of it and fortunately for them, money was never an issue.
I once advised a student to stop after his PPL. Fortunately he decided not to listen and continued for all his ratings, he now flies for a charter outfit in the Caribbean.
Trouble with navigation is the unusual part, at least in my experience.
Usually it is the lack of mechanical aptitude or simply very brainy people that lack the coordination skills.
I think your friend has taken it very very far already. House gone and wife gone.....he should have gotten the clues earlier.
Agree with everybody else, stop for a while, get your life in order and your priorities straight and try again if the desire is still there.