Funerals.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

Everyone dies eventually, and most of us have a funeral. All too often the death is unexpected or unanticipated, even when the person dying isn't very young. Most people don't have any kind of advance planning in place. I've been involved in a couple of funerals, so I know a very small amount about this. It's even worse when the recently deceased is very young, say a high school student gunned down at school.

This post is because of this thread: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210631722#post7

I'm astonished and humbled by that man's generosity.

[Kittycow]

1. He also raised $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief.

Additionally, he has a foundation to support under-funded after school athletic programs for middle school kids. I wouldn't be surprised if he also helped a great deal anonymously.

He's really a lovely man

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. I did not know that.

Thank you. Underfunded after school programs, athletic or otherwise, are a huge problem. My children are now grown, and they attended and excellent and well funded public school, but all that time I knew that there were kids out there who weren't getting the same programs or funding.

Sometimes I fantasize about what I'd do with vast sums of money, and those fantasies often include various ways of helping others less fortunate. How lovely to learn of someone who actually does this stuff.

Thanks again.

[Kittycow]

6. You're welcome.

I never heard of him until Hurricane Harvey. The more I find out, the more I admire him.

Plus I guess he's an okay football player

[Sherman A1]

3. K&R

There was a discussion of this several years ago when a DU'er passed away leaving little in the way of instructions about this or that. One person posted information on a book (more of a workbook) called "Before It's Too Late" that allows you to outline your wishes and leave a record of where documents are located. I have picked up the book and found it very useful although I am not completely done with filling out all the pages. My Sister did hers and updates it every tax season when she has all the financial records out anyway getting ready to head to her CPA.

[pazzyanne]

4. A rare man who knows what is important in life.

Kudos on you, Sir.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. I constantly think about that.

My son is visiting me next month, and I need to have a good talk with him about such things. I did recently update my will and associated legal stuff and sent him copies of the paperwork with a cover letter.

This may seem trivial, but I know I want to be cremated but have no idea what I want done with my ashes.

What I haven't done at this point is paid up front for my cremation. I should probably do that.

Because of a recent death of someone close to me, I've been harassing all of my close friends about having wills and the like.

[Sherman A1]

7. Wills and medical directives are all important and part of the mix

What this workbook (or those similar) do is list out all of the other stuff and where it’s all located, such as where are the keys for the safe deposit box and what bank it’s in. What to do with the pet, family photos and keepsakes.

Go through it, make the list and all you have to do is tell them where the workbook is located. Makes it easy for those who may have a problem having the conversation about the final wishes.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

8. Sherman, could you please post the author's name?

I searched on Amazon and couldn't believe how many books there are with that name, but none seem to fit your description.

Thanks.......

[Sherman A1]

9. Certainly

Title: Before It’s Too Late
“ Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones Unprepared”
By, Osihi - Thompson.

The cover is a yellow bleeding into orange shade . I think it ran about $25 to $30 or so a few years ago. You might check with your local library as well. I did mine on the desktop page by page so that I could just replace a page to update it when necessary. The book remains next to a binder marked Executor in a locked file drawer.

The folks that need to know about it have the information on the location of the keys 🔑. Just in case of a Zombie Apocalypse or attack of Giant Rutabagas.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. I will have to look for that.

I did share some very specific details with my son. It's too easy for people to withhold very important information, financial specifics mostly. I've decided that my son should have all that information.

[Sherman A1]

13. Using this method you can update it in the book

And no need to remember to tell anyone. Add an insurance policy, change credit cards or email addresses and just update the book. Your Executor just needs to know where it is and how to get to it. Some folks don’t want to discuss final arrangements or financial matters, so this helps.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

11. Found it, thank you. $26 on Amazon.

When you said "did mine on the desktop page by page", do you mean there's a way to do this book digitally?

TIA,.....

[Sherman A1]

12. No digital method to do it of which I am aware

I just did each page in a word processor, saving the files and printing each page as it corresponds to the workbook. I put each page in a sheet protector in a binder marked “Executor”. If something changes on page 38 for example, I simply go into my saved documents, make the changes and print just page 38 to replace the one in the binder.

It takes time to set up, but editing is fairly simple.