Frank's family's Family Guide, assembled entry by entry — the orientation loved ones need: what exists, who to call, what matters. Everything here passes the kitchen-table test — it orients a trusted person without exposing credentials or access details.
All details are fictional and illustrative. 29 of 29 Module sections so far — the guides grow as the walkthrough continues. Companion volume: the example Secure Guide.
Nineteen devices — laptops, phones, tablets, a smart TV, gaming consoles, cameras, and the router. Types and users are summarized here; no serial numbers or credentials.
Frank-Laptop — it carries the encrypted volume that holds The Secure Guide — and Frank's and Sarah's phones, which receive the account-verification codes. The complete nineteen-device list is in The Secure Guide.
Everyone runs their own machine — Dad's ThinkPad is work plus the family records system, Mom's MacBook is the design business, the kids' phones are theirs, the iPad is homework and travel. Mom's and Dad's phones are the ones that receive the bank and account codes.
Frank — quarterly device audit on a calendar reminder. Sarah holds emergency access to the password manager.
Lost or stolen device: tell Frank first — he can remote-lock and wipe it. If Frank is unreachable, Sarah's emergency access opens the same controls. For any confusing request about a device or account, use the family code word and call back on a number in this Guide.
Drawer strays live in the labeled shoebox in the office closet — if a device isn't in the inventory yet, it goes there until the next audit, not back in the drawer.
Our family's information is organized with the FIRM System: four Areas of Focus — System, At-Home, Financial, and Estate — each made of Modules covering one topic. Everything has a known place, so the right person can find the right information when it matters.
Our Secure Guide's file system is protected — the paper originals in the fire safe, the digital volume encrypted (see the Encryption Module).
This page comes from the family's primary information system — the FIRM System (Family Information Resource Management). Everything the family keeps is organized in four Areas of Focus — System, At-Home, Financial, and Estate — held in the FIRM Binder (paper) and the FIRM Directory (digital), where the MASTER copies of The Secure Guide and this Family Guide are maintained. The copy you are reading was distributed from that master. (Pre-printed on the template.)
None structural — we follow the four-Area standard in both the binder and the digital volume. One convenience copy: the pet-care sheet is also posted inside the pantry door.
Main: the binder in the home-office locked cabinet plus the encrypted volume on Frank's laptop. Backups: a weekly copy of the volume on the SSD in the fire safe, and an encrypted cloud copy. All of those hold far more detail than this page.
The digital copy is a VeraCrypt-encrypted volume (a third-party tool); the laptops carrying it use the operating system's own encryption too. Whoever holds The Vault Key opens the volume with it. See the Encryption Module for more information.
Frank; the structure is walked and verified every January.
Frank first. If he is unavailable, Sarah holds emergency access to the password manager, which opens the digital volume. The binder's tabs mirror the digital folders — either copy orients you.
Two Wi-Fi networks: FrankNet for the family's own computers and phones, and FrankNet-Guest for visitors and all the smart gadgets (doorbell, thermostat, speaker, TV, consoles).
The fiber box and the LatticeMesh main unit: the study bookshelf. The two satellite nodes: the upstairs hallway and the family room console.
Password manager → Network — the mesh app login and the Wi-Fi passwords. Never written in this binder.
FrankNet-Guest: “CooperSaysWoof” — shared freely; it's what the network exists for. (The family network's password stays in the password manager.)
Frank — a ten-minute device audit every month. Anything unfamiliar on the network gets blocked first and questioned second.
Internet outage: the ISP support line on the utility card in this binder. Anything odd — a strange device, a password prompt you didn't expect — tell Frank, and don't enter passwords anywhere new.
Sensitive records are kept in encrypted storage — on the computers, on backup drives, and in the cloud. Locked is the normal state; nothing sensitive sits readable.
The computers protect themselves automatically. The family archive — photos, legal papers, tax records — and the family records system live in protected storage that is opened on purpose, used, and locked again.
Most of it is built into the computers. The one separate program is named in The Secure Guide, and a backup copy of it is kept with the archived files — so even a drive from years ago can still be opened. The passwords are in the password manager; a written recovery copy exists, sealed in the fire safe.
Frank; the whole setup is opened and proven once a year, every January.
Never guess passwords — some containers lock or erase after repeated wrong attempts. Start with the password-manager note; Frank first, then Sarah's emergency access. And no one legitimate will ever ask you to read a key over the phone or type it into a link.
All of our critical passwords are in the password manager, and the password manager opens only with The Vault Key — for us, a memorized master password backed by a hardware key. If an account matters, its key is in there, and so is the map of what exists.
New logins go into the password manager and the phones fill them in automatically. The email accounts and the manager itself also want a hardware key — the two YubiKeys, keyring and fire safe. A growing set of accounts opens by fingerprint instead of a password — those are passkeys, and they're on the master list in the manager.
The manager is Bitwarden (family plan). Sarah holds configured emergency access. The backup hardware key and a sealed recovery copy are in the fire safe. Nothing here says what the master password is — only where every door lives.
Frank; semi-annual review. Sarah holds emergency access — a built-in feature of the password manager. Tested, not just configured.
Don't reset accounts one by one — the recovery path is where accounts get lost. Start with the password manager's emergency access (Sarah). And a locked-out plea, even in a familiar voice, gets a callback on a known number before anyone acts.
Everything important is backed up — a copy at home in the fire safe and a copy offsite. Three copies, two kinds of media, one away from the house.
It runs itself: the computers back up on a schedule, the important container copies itself to the cloud in encrypted form, and once a year Dad proves a copy opens. Nobody does anything daily to keep this true.
The shared cloud folder (SafeHarbor) holds the Family Guide PDF and a README; the home backup drive is in the fire safe. No passwords in either place.
Frank — the backups run automatically; he verifies quarterly and does a real test-restore every January.
Start with the README in the shared cloud folder — it walks through restoring everything in order. Sarah and the executor already have access to that folder.
The yearly archive folder is allowed to look old — that is the point. Don't tidy it, don't delete 'duplicates' from it.
This is the family's shared compass — the story, values, and traditions we steer by, revisited on the family's review rhythm and read aloud when someone new joins the family. Private letters connected to it are kept separately and come later. (Pre-printed on the template — our rhythm: the January walk, and Sunday dinner when something needs saying.)
From “What Matters to Us Right Now”: why Frank and Sarah value stability and independence — both grew up watching plans fail for lack of a fallback — and a note that mistakes are expected, and owned. One page, written in a single evening, revised once with Sarah a week later.
What We Value
Value
How It Shows Up in Our Lives
Responsibility
Own the mistake first, then fix it — allowances, chores, and the family calendar all run on this
Fairness
The kids get a say in decisions that affect them; we explain the ones where they don't
Curiosity
Questions are never dumb; one new thing tried per school break
Traditions and Practices We Want to Preserve
Tradition or Practice
Why It Matters
Notes for Future Generations
Weekly Sunday check-in over dinner
The one hour everyone is at the same table, phones down
The agenda is: nothing. That's the point
Shared meals on school nights
Where the small stuff surfaces before it becomes big stuff
Not formal — frozen pizza counts
These are descriptions, not mandates — Frank and Sarah wrote them down expecting traditions to change as the kids grow.
The four-person family group chat for logistics; video calls with the grandparents on Sunday afternoons. Email goes unread — don't use it for anything urgent.
Sunday dinner is standing; whoever travels checks in when they land. Lily and Jacob text their whereabouts after school without being asked (most days).
Unwritten so far — first real test arrives when Lily leaves for college. The Sunday call moves to the group video thread; the check-in habit stays.
“We don't expect you to follow our path. We hope you understand why we chose ours.”
Months in, after a hard conversation about a school decision, Frank added one reflection: “This helped us talk — not agree, but talk better.”
The last line on the binder page, added the day Frank sealed the envelope: “Private letters are stored in The Secure Guide.” For whom, and for when — the shared layer doesn't say.
Passports for all four, birth certificates, Social Security cards, and both drivers' licenses — plus every email account — are cataloged in The Secure Guide. Types and owners only; no numbers live on this page. (Family genealogy research is documented in the Family Compass Module.)
The catalog is in The Secure Guide; account credentials are in the password manager; physical originals are in the fireproof safe in the home office.
Frank — reviewed every January with the backup test. Sarah has full access.
For a document in the safe, ask Frank or Sarah. For account access in an emergency, see the password-manager note in this Guide. Do not guess passwords — wrong guesses lock accounts.
House rule, learned the easy way: any request for an ID, a reset code, or “just confirm your birthday” that arrives as a family member gets the family check first — call back on a number in this Guide. A familiar voice is not, by itself, identity.
Every subscription, membership, and loyalty program we pay for or value is cataloged in The Secure Guide, tied to the family member who controls it. Streaming profiles exist for all four of us; the library cards are in the kitchen drawer.
The catalog is in The Secure Guide; login credentials are in the password manager.
Frank — quarterly review. The “are we still paying for that?” question goes to him.
If something needs canceling and the catalog isn't reachable, the last three months of card statements reconstruct the list — but check The Secure Guide first. For what happens to these services after death, see the Digital Legacy Module entry.
The library cards live in the kitchen drawer with the takeout menus — yes, really. And the Courier subscription is Dad's morning ritual; whoever inherits the bill should know it's not just a charge.
Every online account and digital thing this family keeps has a written plan — what gets kept, transferred, memorialized, or deleted, and who does it. Nobody has to figure anything out from scratch on a hard day.
Two breadcrumbs: the INVENTORY (the per-account plan) is the Digital Legacy section of The Secure Guide; the PASSWORDS are in the password manager — and the executor's first step is its emergency-access procedure, noted in that same section.
Frank maintains the plan; Sarah is the designated digital executor. Reviewed every January.
After a death: act only from the documented plan. Verify any account notice or access request through Sarah — never from the message itself. If the password manager can't be reached, Tom Mercer (Frank's brother, 555-0119) holds backup emergency access.
Dad: Meridian Logistics (operations manager, since 2018); before that Stateline Supply (was Harlan Distribution, 2008–2018 — a pension is still there) and Beckett Manufacturing (2002–2008). His engineering degree is from Westvale State; he keeps a PE license. Mom: her own design business since 2018; Brightline Design before that (an old 401(k) is still there). Side work: Dad's consulting practice, ongoing since 2018.
The Work History section of The Secure Guide (per-employer entries with the benefits and plan administrators); original documents in the fireproof safe.
Job change: some Meridian benefits CANCEL at departure — the group life especially; re-shop before leaving. Serious illness or a death: call Meridian benefits (555-0158) in the first week — group life, pension, final pay. The old pension: Pinnacle Benefits Group, 555-0161. Disability or Social Security claims: the work history in The Secure Guide is the evidence, already assembled.
Frank — reviewed every January alongside the benefit statements.
For survivor benefits: the plan administrators listed in The Secure Guide. Pensions exist at MORE THAN ONE former employer — check the catalog before assuming anything lapsed. Frank's PE license must be formally closed with the state board.
The Mercer family — one shared emergency sheet, posted where everyone knows it lives
Dr. Anita Rao, Westvale Family Practice — 555-0122
Westvale Regional Medical Center — fifteen minutes away, and where Dr. Rao's records already are
Jacob: PENICILLIN. Frank, Sarah, Lily: none known
Frank takes two daily prescriptions — the printed list is clipped behind this page; photo on Sarah's phone
Cornerstone Choice PPO — member services 555-0149; cards in wallets, scan in the Vault
Living will + healthcare proxy: fire safe, home office. Decision-maker: Sarah
Main Street Pharmacy — 555-0134, 214 Main Street
Set on all four phones 2026-04 — allergies, meds, and emergency contacts readable from the lock screen
House rule: any call or message asking to “confirm” health details, insurance numbers, or portal access gets a callback on the provider number on THIS page — never the number in the message. However much the caller already knows.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988. Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741. Both are saved in every family phone.
The Mercer family — one shared page; the supports overlap
Karen Osei, LCSW — Jacob's counselor, and the professional who already knows this family
555-0171
WorkLife Assist — 555-0188. Six free sessions each per year, confidential, family included — yes, teenagers too
Westvale County Crisis Center — 555-0195, walk-in until 9 p.m.
Trusted People (one or two each family member would reach out to first)
Name
Relationship
Phone
Pastor Jim Hollis
Mom's and Dad's pick
555-0126
Tom Mercer
Frank's brother
555-0119
Beth Keller
Sarah's sister
555-0163
Coach Ramirez
Lily's cross-country coach
555-0139
Tom Mercer (“Uncle Tom”)
Jacob's pick
555-0119
Pastor Jim Hollis — personal relationship, no congregation
Jim Hollis
555-0126
He knows Mom and Dad both. Calling him in a hard season is welcome, not an imposition.
In our family, we talk openly about how we're doing. If you're struggling, please reach out — Mom, Dad, Uncle Tom, Aunt Beth. Nobody handles it alone.
Start with a conversation, not a diagnosis. The counselor and the EAP are for using early, not only for emergencies — that's why their numbers are on this page.
Prescription thyroid-support kibble — 2 cups, morning and evening. It is NOT optional and NOT the grocery-store brand (vet's orders; ask Dave why we know)
Westvale Animal Hospital front desk, or their online store
Levothyroxine 0.6 mg — one tablet every morning, wrapped in a pill pocket. Missed doses matter; two in a row means call the vet
Two walks a day; will play fetch until stopped
Friendly but jumps on new people. Afraid of thunderstorms — his calm-down spot is the laundry room, door open
Westvale Animal Hospital — 555-0192
88 Route 9, Westvale
Valley Emergency Vet — 555-0107, open 24 hours
Current copy clipped behind this page — boarding will ask for it
Dave Okonkwo (next door) — 555-0155. Has a key, has this sheet, has met the vet
Tom Mercer — 555-0119 (also the long-term caregiver if we're gone; he knows)
Maddie Reyes — 555-0191; walks Cooper when the family travels, and holds a copy of this sheet
TrustyPaws Pet Insurance — member services 555-0173
Financial Advisors and Key Contacts — contact these first to understand or access our financial accounts
Name
Role
Phone
Email
Elena Vargas, CFP®
Financial planner — call her first
555-0146
evargas@alderwealth.example
Marcus Lee, CPA
Taxes — Lee & Tran
555-0153
mlee@leetran.example
Liabilities at a Glance
Creditor
Debt Type
Secured By
Notes
Westvale Savings
Mortgage
The house
—
Lakeview Auto Credit
Auto loan
Sarah's car
—
Credit cards
Paid monthly
—
No revolving balance — stop looking
House rule: any request to move money, change contact details, or add an authorized user — even in a familiar voice, even knowing our account names — gets a callback on Elena's or the bank's number on THIS page. Never the number or link the request supplies.
We used to; the closed record is in The Secure Guide. Nothing to find
NFTs / digital collectibles
No
—
Revenue-generating properties
No
Mom's business site sells her services — it isn't one of these
Domain names
Yes — one
The family website's address; renewal is automatic
IP with active income
No
—
Who to Contact — before taking any action; some assets require careful handling to avoid tax consequences or permanent loss
Name
Role
Phone
Email
Elena Vargas, CFP®
Financial advisor — first call
555-0146
evargas@alderwealth.example
Marcus Lee, CPA
Tax consequences
555-0153
mlee@leetran.example
Sarah Mercer
Digital executor (see Digital Legacy)
—
—
For heirs: a wrong move can destroy a digital asset permanently. Locate the full instructions in The Secure Guide before touching anything, and treat any “exchange notice” or “recovery deadline” arriving after a death as suspect — verify through the people above, never the message. No one legitimate will ever need a recovery phrase from you.
Digital, one folder per year — see The Secure Guide for access
2016 through current (the three oldest as IRS transcripts)
Marcus Lee, CPA — Lee & Tran
555-0153
mlee@leetran.example
If you need to act on tax matters: open The Secure Guide for archive access, then call Marcus BEFORE filing anything, responding to any IRS or state notice, or changing any tax account. Estate tax questions: the Estate Plan Module + Ruth Alvarez.
Any call, text, or email claiming to be Marcus or the IRS — asking for documents, identity confirmation, or a “corrected” payment — gets a callback at 555-0153 first. The IRS starts with a letter, not a phone call.
Annual — the big one; don't panic at the November balance
PROPERTY TAX
~$3,400
November + May
NO — must be paid
The only essential bill that needs a human. County statement arrives by mail
Primary Operating Account
Westvale Savings
Joint checking — “the household hub”
Every essential bill above draws from here. A mid-month dip is normal (Sarah's client payments arrive unevenly)
See The Secure Guide
Financial Goals — Summary
Statement
Detail
Retirement first, mortgage early, college monthly
The mortgage is being paid down early ON PURPOSE — ask Elena before changing anything
Who to Call
Name
Role
Phone
Elena Vargas, CFP®
Anything strategy-shaped
555-0146
Marcus Lee, CPA
Anything tax-shaped
555-0153
If a payment changes, a bill asks for “updated” account details, or anyone requests money toward one of our goals — call a number on this page first. A payment that changed without us changing it goes to Frank the same day.
Great-grandpa's coin collection — garage fire safe
It matters. Appraised 2026; don't sell a single coin without the appraisal in hand
Precious metals / private investments
One small family loan — details in The Secure Guide
Otherwise none — recorded so nobody searches
Who to Contact
Name
Role
Phone
Ruth Alvarez
Estate attorney
555-0177
Marcus Lee, CPA
Tax — ask BEFORE selling anything here
555-0153
R. Whitcomb
Coin appraiser
555-0129
Elena Vargas, CFP®
The whole picture
555-0146
Standing instruction: do not sell, transfer, or distribute any of these without consulting Ruth and Marcus first — the tax treatment of inherited assets can be worth more than the sale price difference.
Everything except the group life — that one goes through Meridian's benefits department
To file a claim: policy numbers and carrier claim lines are in The Secure Guide; Pete can walk you through any of it. Life insurance claims need a certified death certificate — Ruth Alvarez can advise. Do not cancel any policy without checking with Ruth first.
Any notice about a lapse, premium problem, or claim requirement — however much it knows about us — gets verified by calling Pete or the carrier number on the policy documents. Never the contact the notice supplies.
The fireproof document bag — hall closet shelf, red handle. Then the laptops if there's time. The fire safe STAYS — it's rated for this; everything in it also exists as an encrypted copy reachable from anywhere (Dad or Mom can open it from any computer). Don't spend minutes on anything else in the office.
Four go-bags on the hall closet floor, one per person, names on the tags. Supply kit: garage shelf, labeled. Emergency cash: sealed envelope in the fire safe — take it if the safe is open anyway, don't stay to open it.
Insurance: Pete Sandoval, 555-0184 — first call once everyone is safe; the declarations pages are in the document bag. Money questions: Elena Vargas, 555-0146. Both numbers are also in the phone contacts of every adult.
For the full emergency contact list and evacuation plan, see the Communications Module.
If someone calls DURING a crisis offering to restore access to accounts or backups — verify through the numbers on this page first. Help that arrives unrequested is verified before it is trusted.
Can't reach each other? Call Aunt Ellen — 555-0142. Everyone checks in with her and she relays. Meet at the Westvale Library parking lot; if we're leaving the area, we go to Ellen's.
Emergency Contacts
Name
Role
Phone
Ellen Hayes
Aunt Ellen — the out-of-area hub
555-0142
Tom Mercer
Uncle Tom — verifier for anything odd
555-0119
Dr. Anita Rao
Family doctor (adults)
555-0122
Dr. Maya Chen
Kids' doctor
555-0166
Poison Control
—
1-800-222-1222
Medical Information Summary
Family Member
Critical Allergies or Conditions
Emergency Notes
Jacob
Allergic to PENICILLIN
Tell any ER or urgent care first
Frank
Takes daily blood-pressure medication
Printed medication list clipped behind the medical page
Complete medical records and insurance information are in The Secure Guide.
If Something Happens to the Primary Planner — Contact in This Order
Name
Role
Phone
Notes
Ruth Alvarez
Estate attorney
555-0177
Holds copies of the wills and the trust
Tom Mercer
Successor executor
555-0119
Named in the wills — steps in if Mom or Dad can't serve
Elena Vargas
Financial advisor
555-0146
Manages the accounts listed in The Secure Guide
Pete Sandoval
Insurance agent
555-0184
Policy numbers in The Secure Guide
Do not make major financial decisions in the first thirty days without speaking with Ruth and Elena.
House rule, crisis edition: we act on calls WE place to numbers on this page — never on calls received. Anything unexpected goes to Uncle Tom first, however urgent it sounds.
This guide exists so no one ever has to reconstruct our lives from fragments. If you are reading it because something has happened: breathe, then turn to the first-calls page. Everything is findable from there. We built this with you in mind. — Mom & Dad, June 2026
Wills for each of us, a revocable living trust that holds the house, powers of attorney for money and health care, and living wills — drafted by Ruth Alvarez (Alvarez Law Office), updated June 2026. Originals: fire safe, home office. Ruth holds executed copies.
Roles and Responsibilities
Role
Name
Contact
Notes
Executor
Sarah (for Frank) / Frank (for Sarah); successor: Tom Mercer
555-0119
Named in the wills
Successor Trustee
Tom Mercer
555-0119
Named in the trust
Power of Attorney
Each other; successor: Tom
—
Manages money matters if one of us can't
Healthcare Proxy
Each other
—
Care wishes are written in our own words — Elder Care page
Guardian (the kids)
Tom Mercer; alternate: Beth Keller
555-0119 / 555-0163
Named in the wills; both said yes before being named
Emergency Contacts
Name
Role
Phone
Ruth Alvarez
Estate attorney
555-0177
Elena Vargas
Financial advisor
555-0146
Uncle Tom
Successor executor / first practical call
555-0119
Aunt Ellen
Out-of-area family hub
555-0142
Yes, these numbers also live on the Communications page — duplicated here on purpose, so this page works alone.
Mom (the master, in the FIRM Binder) and Uncle Tom (a printed copy, refreshed at the June dinner). Lily and Jacob know the binder shelf. Updates flow from the binder outward — if your copy disagrees with the binder, the binder wins.
Lily has met Elena (the money person) once at her office. Nobody has met Ruth (the attorney) yet except Mom — Uncle Tom meets her at the fall review. Pete (insurance) is a name on the first-calls page, and that's enough for now.
The plan gets walked every June at the family dinner, and Mom and Dad re-check the accounts every January. Questions don't need an occasion — but June is when they get answered with the binder open.
The Secure Guide is the detailed layer: the binder in the home-office locked cabinet plus an encrypted digital copy. Sarah opens it; if she can't, Uncle Tom's emergency access to the password manager opens the same doors. Nobody hunts for a password — the path is a person.
Do not make major financial or legal decisions in the first thirty days without speaking with Ruth and Elena.
For Grandma Margaret: Frank — healthcare power of attorney, 2026; the document is in the fire safe and with Ruth Alvarez. Alternate: Aunt Ellen.
Also Frank — durable power of attorney. Her bank and Elena's office know they may call him if anything looks off. That is on purpose.
In her words: home with help while it's safe; then assisted living in Westvale, close to us — never somewhere far away, “however nice the brochure.” Keep the garden going.
A policy exists (Northbridge). Call the number in The Secure Guide before arranging any paid care — benefits have a trigger and a roughly three-month waiting period, and starting care the wrong way can cost the family the claim.
Dr. Anita Rao, Westvale Family Practice — 555-0122. Frank is on the portal and the HIPAA releases.
Any call about Grandma — a bill, an emergency, a grandchild in trouble — gets the family callback habit first: hang up, call the number on this page. However much the caller knows, however urgent it sounds.
Cremation for both of us; ashes together at the lake — the kids know where. A simple service at Westvale Community Church and a real gathering after. No pre-paid arrangement exists. Full preferences, music, and the obituary drafts are in The Secure Guide.
Pastor Jim Hollis, 555-0126 — he knows our wishes exist and where they point. Then any Westvale funeral home of your choosing; there is no pre-selected provider. Because there is no pre-paid plan, treat any bill or call claiming one as a mismatch with our records — hand it to the executor, don't answer it.
Drafts and guidance are in The Secure Guide, in the same folder as the preferences. Short and warm beats long and complete.
We wrote this page on an ordinary Sunday with coffee, not in a hospital hallway. It was easier than we expected — and we're telling you that on purpose. — F & S
It's home — and Pastor Hollis has shown up for this family every time it mattered
Westvale Food Bank
Local food security
Sarah's monthly volunteer shift — the giving followed the Saturdays
First-Generation Scholarship Fund, Westvale State
College access for first-generation students
Sarah was that student once. This is the debt we repay forward
None — our giving is direct. If a donor-advised fund ever appears, it will be documented in The Secure Guide, and Elena Vargas will manage it.
Our wills include a bequest to the scholarship fund. Ruth Alvarez and the executor know; the details are in The Secure Guide and in the wills themselves.
Nothing here is an obligation on you. If you keep any of it going, keep the scholarship — and if you can't, tell the foundation why it mattered. That story is worth more than the check. — Mom
Thirty years of history. He will want to help with the practical things — let him
Beth Keller
Sarah's sister
555-0163
Alternate guardian for the kids (see Estate Plan); Tuesday check-ins with Margaret
Pastor Jim Hollis
Pastor, Westvale Community Church
555-0126
Officiated our wedding; knows the funeral wishes exist and where they point
Walt Jensen
Grandpa's workshop neighbor, now Frank's friend
555-0179
Has Grandpa's table saw on permanent loan — it stays his; written down so no one ever asks for it back
Notification Priority List
Name
Relationship
Contact
Notify By
Priority
Ellen Hayes
Frank's sister
555-0142
Phone
First — she's also the communication hub
Beth Keller
Sarah's sister
555-0163
Phone
First
Tom Mercer
Frank's brother
555-0119
Phone
First — he will likely be making the other calls
Ray Delgado
Close friend
555-0174
Phone
First day
Pastor Jim Hollis
Church
555-0126
Phone
First day — he'll mobilize the congregation's practical help
Meridian Logistics HR — Dana Whitfield
Frank's employer
555-0158
Phone
First week — starts the group-life and benefits process (see Work History)
Sarah's active clients
The design business
Client list in the Entities Module folder
Email from her business account
First two weeks — Tom or Lily can send the drafted note that sits beside the list
Mercers: Grandma Margaret here in Westvale, Uncle Tom in town, Aunt Ellen three hours north, cousin Danny two towns over. Kellers: Aunt Beth close by; the rest of Mom's family is scattered west — the holiday-card list in The Secure Guide has every address.
This page IS the map now — kept openly, on purpose. The one thing that lives elsewhere: anything needing executor-only context sits in The Secure Guide beside the exclusions (currently: nothing). If someone calls with a claim or a story we didn't write down, that is exactly what the verification habit is for.
Holds the house so it passes without a court process; Mom and Dad run it while living
Ruth Alvarez, 555-0177
Key Contacts for Entity Matters
Name
Role
Entity
Phone
Email
Ruth Alvarez
Attorney
The trust
555-0177
r.alvarez@alvarezlaw.example
Marcus Lee
CPA
The trust + Sarah's business taxes
555-0153
—
The house is owned by the trust, not by Mom and Dad directly — that is the point, and it means the house does not pass through the will. Uncle Tom becomes trustee if they can't act. Call Ruth before doing anything involving the house or the brokerage. Full documents are in The Secure Guide.
Distribute what the trust doesn't hold; name the executor and the kids' guardian
Executor: Mom / Dad for each other; successor: Uncle Tom
Trust
Holds the house so it skips the court process
Trustees: Mom + Dad; successor: Uncle Tom
Powers of Attorney
Money decisions if one of us can't act
Each other, then Uncle Tom
Healthcare Directives
Medical decisions, plus our wishes in writing
Each other
Ruth Alvarez, Alvarez Law Office — 555-0177. She holds executed copies of everything and has known this family since 2023. For any estate question, she is the first call.
For estate matters, in this order: Ruth Alvarez (555-0177), then Elena Vargas (555-0146), then the executor — before taking any other action. The full first-calls list is on the Communications page.
The retirement accounts and life insurance pass directly to named people, outside the will — all reviewed June 2026 and listed in The Secure Guide. Don't assume the will covers everything; it isn't supposed to.
Everything here was organized with care and updated in June 2026. The people named are named because we trust them. If anything is unclear — or anyone contacts you claiming something has changed — call Ruth on the number above. Nothing about this plan changes by phone call or message. — F & S