Welcome to
passing-thoughts
What We Provide:
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For you - Explore our range of resources to assist you with your end-of-life planning.
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For you, your family and your executor - Our Editable Guide & Worksheet (Microsoft Word document) for Your End of Life Planning will assist you with organizing your thoughts and wishes, and provide important information for your executor and family following your death. Such planning is also an opportunity to think about your advance health care requirements and wishes; to have some fun planning your funeral, celebration of life or wake; and to do some creative thinking & writing for your obituary and legacy.
Introduction
The idea for the passing-thoughts website is drawn from personal experience gained while working through the process of sorting out dying and death wishes, and putting the necessary documents together for the benefit of family and the estate executor.
As resources for your own journey through the maze of dying and death, this website provides suggestions for links to a range of national and international government agencies, national health services, and well known non-governmental organizations and foundations that work in these spaces.
The suggested resources are referenced by the agency cited and country (e.g., Source: AgeUK, United Kingdom), and links are provided to the agency’s website and other resources of interest. These are independent websites and you should check their respective privacy policies to see what information is collected and your rights therein.
Further, you should note that legal requirements, advice and customs vary by country and jurisdiction, and you will need to check the applicability of the suggested resources against your local circumstances.
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Self-Assessment - Are you ready to go?
As a quick self-assessment from the point of view of your estate executor, how would you rate yourself on the following tasks to be undertaken by your Executor or family?
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If you haven’t left a will, appointed an estate executor, or passed along a list of your assets, liabilities and passwords to your social media and other accounts, then the wrap up your of estate can become legally complicated, lengthy, potentially contested, and expensive.
If there are any ‘No’ answers in your self-assessment, then this Site has some suggestions and resources for you. You might want to double-check your ‘Yes’ answers too, as this Site might have some additional ideas to consider.
Table of Contents
The resources for this Site are broadly arranged on four main pages: (1) Before, (2) Before but fading, (3) Beyond, first steps, and (4) Beyond, next steps. The pictures on the Site reflect the changing seasons as observed in countries in the more northern and southern latitudes - Spring on the Home page, Summer on the Before page, Autumn on the Before but fading page, and Winter on the Beyond pages.
Click on any of the headings below to go directly to that page and topic. The topics are color-coded for ease of reference.​​
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1) Before
Reasons for, and guidance on, planning ahead for the end of your life
Wills, power of attorney, estate planning
Appointing, and duties of, an estate executor or administrator
Your Legacy
Advance / Health Care Directives
Ageing in place
Hospice and palliative care / Caregiving
Dying with dignity / Medically assisted dying
Who should be informed immediately upon a person’s death?
Funeral / Celebration of Life arrangements
Prayers, hymns and music
Obituaries, eulogies, memorials
Coping with grief and getting on with life
Financial assistance and survivor benefits
The Guide & Worksheet, when completed, provides important information an executor and/or family members may need following your death. Such planning is also an opportunity to think about your care requirements and wishes, to have some fun planning your funeral, celebration of life or wake, and to do some creative writing for your obituary.
The Guide & Worksheet is broadly organized around the following topics:
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​Personal arrangements for my children and pets
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Getting documents organized – Where there is a will, there is a way
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My advance health care directive
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My end-of-life preferences
- Who should be present at the end of my life
- My funeral and/or Celebration of Life preferences
- My obituary and eulogy
- My favourite music, hymns and readings
- My favourite flowers, trees and other plants
- My reception preferences
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My family tree
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My legacy
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List of my assets and liabilities
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My login and password information
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Contact information – Who to notify
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Summary and locations of important documents
Some topics may not apply and can be left blank, crossed out, or deleted. Additional items or ideas can be inserted as the user wishes.
The Guide & Worksheet is not a legal document, but should be completed confidentially and stored in a secure location with your Will and Power of Attorney.
The Guide & Worksheet can be downloaded for a cost of CAD 20 as an editable Word file. While exchange rates vary daily, in mid-October 2024 the comparable costs were approximately USD 14.53 or EUR 13.29 or GBP 11.12 or AUD 21.52
You can find the current exchange rates on Oanda
