1) If your father is 85 and his whole life policy is decades old (seems so based on the OP), it may already be self sustaining. If paying the premiums out pocket becomes an issue, you probably have a couple of options and should get those answered now, before it ever becomes an issue (if it ever does) ......a) ask the agent to run an INFORCE ILLUSTRATION using the dividends to offset the premium and / or a policy loan if the dividends don't cover it and b) ask them to show you the increase in death benefit (paid up additions) for each new premium paid.
Old policies like this presumably would be self-funding at a point, if the underlying insurer is strong. Also, most of these policies are set to have each dividend buy a "paid up addition" which is basically trading cash today for an increase in the policy's death benefit down the road. As an example, the premium may be $1000, the annual dividend may be $1800, and if used to buy paid up additions to the face amount, the increase in death benefit might be $2500. Those are made up numbers but from an estate planning standpoint, you may be able to take $x out of pocket A and put $xxx in pocket B. If he/you doesn't need the premium payment funds for immediate needs, it is likely worth continuing to pay it. If money is tight, using the dividend or even a policy loan to offset the premium could make sense.
Before you and your father jump to any conclusions, make sure you look at all the angles using INFORCE ILLUSTRATIONS so you can see how taking dollars from pocket A impacts pocket B.
2) On the group life question, your cousin needs to get a copy of the group life policy from his employer. He needs to be looking for things like portability clauses, waiver of premium, or convertibility clauses. Some policies have none of those options, but others allow for you to take the term policy with you on termination, convert it to a permanent policy, or may have a clause that waives the premium in the event of a permanent disability (meaning he can keep the policy). It would be vitally important for him to get the policy, dig into the provisions, and ask his HR or the company's agent a lot of questions to determine what he can and can't do....don't wait until after separation of employment. Do it now. And, very sorry to hear about your cousin.