A loving husband is keeping his wife’s memory alive through speaking about how he was able to prepare for her death along with sharing vital information with others on how to successfully develop their own plan just in case something happens.
Harold Empey, who lived in Craik at one time with his wife Betty, will be presenting his free Davidson Library hosted seminar on the “Just in Case” binder April 8 at the Parish Hall. The “Just in Case” binder is a 12-section plan he created that others could use to make the decisions relative to and provide the information for all that is necessary in the event of death.
People “can expect to hear a presentation as to what needs to be done in order to give the individual peace of mind and provide information for their loved ones in the event of someone dying,” said Empey, noting the “Just in Case” binders would be available at the talk for $25. “The session will be provocative, suggestive and somewhat humorous because I can’t talk about the death of my wife (and) always be serious because it would be too hard to do. It’s a 45-minute presentation followed by questions and discussion.”
Empey said his “Just in Case” binder began in 2006 when he was sent home from the doctor and told to make funeral arrangements due to a serious heart condition. He said his wife expressed her concerns at the time that she did not know what to do about the family’s finances and other important matters if he was to pass away, so they decided to sit down and put all the information together into a comprehensive plan.
“Unfortunately my wife predeceased me, (but) everything was all prearranged because it was the same arrangements for her as for me,” he said, adding that when a friend approached him after Betty’s November 2012 death to ask how they could be so prepared a spark was created to build a plan for others. “I did it as a legacy to my wife, the gal I loved for 57 years. I’ve done over 125 seminars and gone through over 5,000 binders and Harold Empey doesn’t get one penny from it. It’s all a legacy to Betty, so (the $25) goes to recover the costs or to charity.”
September Brooke, branch librarian in Davidson, said she first heard about Empey and his presentation about a year ago, but it wasn’t until a friend’s husband passed away last fall that the importance of hosting this information session struck home. She said the young man’s death showed her that anything can happen to us at any time, so we should all be prepared to make things easier on the ones who are left behind.
To read more please see the March 31 print edition of The Davidson Leader.