Everybody Dies

     I had a friend (now dead) who frequently said, "Everybody dies."  Someone you thought was a friend stabbed you in the back?  They'll get theirs.  Everybody dies.  Your ex weaseled out of having to pay alimony?  Everybody dies.  You were passed over for a promotion at work, and the office sycophant got the job?  Don't worry about it.  They won't be around forever, and eventually you will have a shot at the office with a window facing the courtyard.  Everybody dies.
     I think, at least I hope, my late friend was trying to use dark humor to put disappointments into perspective.  We shouldn't dwell on when other people will exit this life, but we should make a few preparations for our own passing.  Obviously, everyone needs a will.  You should have a living will and a power of attorney, also.  Consult a lawyer for advice on those issues.
     One of the most important things you can do is to set up a file for the person who will manage your affairs.  Lay everything out for them, so they have less stress handling a very stressful task. Here's one way to do it:

Death Instructions
Specify how you want your funeral handled - burial, cremation, cryogenic freezing.  What funeral home would like?  Do you want a service?  Do you want a wall covered in pictures which documents your entire existence?  Do you want to provide food and drink for those who mourn or celebrate your passing?

Have you bought a burial plot or other resting place?  Provide the deed.  If you have not made arrangements, tell your executor what you want them to do with your remains.  

Did you make arrangements for your animals when you are gone?  Figure it out, and leave instructions.

List contact information for your clergyman, lawyer, accountant, doctors.

Personal Records
Provide your full, legal name, birth date, address, house and cell phone numbers, and social security number.

Make sure the person you choose to handle things, besides having a key to the house, has your alarm codes and your voice mail codes.  They should review your phone messages before discontinuing service.

Reveal the location of important documents and valuables - safe deposit box, safe or fire proof document boxes, filing cabinet, under the mattress.  Make sure you provide keys or combinations to get into your stash.  I remember a story someone told me.  Their friend bought an old house.  During the rehab, this friend found a goodly sum of money hidden in the dining room light fixture.  I'm sure the person who squirreled away that cash wanted it to go to a specific person or organization.  Their failure to leave a note cheated the intended recipient, so don't do that.  And don't leave cash in light fixtures or freezers.  Put your money in the bank.

Documents
Your executor will need -
Will
Birth Certificate
Marriage Certificate
Decrees from Prior Divorces
House Deed
Car Title/Registration/Insurance Information
Passport

Financial Records
List all sources of income.  Provide Social Security and Medicare information if applicable.

Provide health care insurance information.

List all assets - checking, savings, and credit union accounts, retirement accounts, stocks, bonds.   Include account numbers.

Provide life insurance information.

List all credit cards and credit lines with account numbers.

Online Records
Provide all email accounts and passwords, as well as account names and passwords for other accounts like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.  Presumably, you will want these accounts closed.

     Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to the business of living.