“Death is not the opposite of life but a part of it.”
Haruki Murakami
In this age of uncertainty, the only thing certain is that you, your friends and your family will die at some point.
Are you and they ready to deal with it?
Do you really know the options available to you or are you ready to let the established funeral service industry take over?
There are lots of choices but many of us leave it too late to think about them. It may seem complicated but we’re here to make it simple.
By publishing regular articles covering all aspects of end of life planning as well as providing tools and checklists, Simply Dead will help you start the conversation with your friends and family and arrange the send off you and they would want.
Why I Don’t Want A Traditional Funeral
I have to be honest, most people are not comfortable about discussing their funeral plans until they are really approaching the date they expect to die. This isn’t something that normally comes up as a discussion in the pub or around the dining table, so why raise it...
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Tax and Death, Probably the Two Things that People Least Like Talking About.
A large proportion of people in the UK die without a will in place
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How to Take Control and Plan a Funeral That’s Right for You
Rosalie Kuyvenhoven is an award-winning celebrant. Here she provides a personal petrspective of her father’s death to explain how you can plan a funeral that’s right for you
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How Do I Pay For My Funeral?
This article discusses some of the different options available to help you plan ahead to pay for your funeral
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Diary of a Death … A Very Personal Experience … Part 3
The final article in a series of three exploring the immediate aftermath of a death in the family and making appropriate funeral arrangements - in our case for a non-religious funeral. Mum's funeral was to take place at 11.30am on the 29th January, the family had...
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Diary of a Death … A Very Personal Experience … Part 2
This article is the second of a series of three based on my personal experience of a death in the family and explores some of the choices that need to be made when arranging a funeral. Day 3 Started with my stepfather and I trying to decide who needed to be made aware...
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Diary of a Death … A Very Personal Experience … Part 1
This article is one of three which explore the immediate aftermath of a death in the family. It is based on my own recent experience and I hope you find it helps to explain what happens when someone dies and some of the immediate decisions that need to be taken. Day...
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Life Never Stops – Something New from Italy
In every part of our daily life we are becoming increasingly aware of the cycle of life and the importance of giving something back to our planet. Death is no different, at Simply Dead we are always searching for new solutions to death which we can share with our...
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Why I Don’t Want A Traditional Funeral
I have to be honest, most people are not comfortable about discussing their funeral plans until they are really approaching the date they expect to die. This isn’t something that normally comes up as a discussion in the pub or around the dining table, so why raise it...
read more
Quirky Coffin Designs
If you want to make sure you arrive at your funeral in style, and in a way that reflects your personality you might want to consider a more personalised coffin design. Here are some ideas to get you started.
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Planning Your Own Funeral – A Checklist
Few people spend any time at all thinking about their funeral, but if you do, it can be a great help to your friends and family who are left with that responsibility.
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How Do I Register a Death?
In recent years the Government has tried to make the process of notifying them about a death much easier for your relatives. This article explains how to go about it.
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How Do I Give Relatives Access To My Online Bank Account When I Die?
Increasingly your financial affairs are now being managed online so it is important that you give thought to how your relatives will access your accounts when you are no longer here. We explain what you can do to make it easier for them.
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What Happens to Facebook When I Die?
Recent research for Simply Dead showed that one of the practical issues relatives face when a loved one dies, is accessing their social media profiles. This blog looks specifically at Facebook.
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Making Decisions For A Relative With Dementia
Many people arrange to take steps to set up a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) so that their relatives can take important decisions on their behalf if they become incapacitated. However, this is not possible once a relative becomes incapable of making such decisions and doesn’t already have a Lasting Power of Attorney in place.
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Is a Humanist Funeral Right for Me?
With recent research into public attitudes showing that around 50% of the UK population no longer identify with a particular religion, it is perhaps not surprising that more people are also looking for non-religious funerals. According to the National Centre for...
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Think Outside The Box! What about a Green Funeral?
Throughout the world, people are rethinking their funeral plans. With some choosing to move away from more traditional cemetery or crematoria settings, more environmentally friendly, green funerals are seeing an increase in popularity. One of the more radical...
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What do you need to think about?
Do you have a plan?
Do you know where key documents are? Have you told anyone else?
Do you know what sort of send-off you would like? Have you told anyone else?
Do you know what your parents or partner want?
Have you made a Will? Is it up to date?
Do you need legal or financial advice?
What happens if you or your relatives cannot make decisions themselves?
What happens to your pets?
What happens to your online data and information?
“I’m not afraid to die, I just want to be there when it happens” – Woody Allen
Download our FREE resources
My Wishes - Record your key details and preferences to make it easier for your family and friends to make sure your final send-off is just as you would want it to be.
My Life’s Business - Use this document to make it easier for your family and friends to manage your affairs after your death.
“In this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.”
Benjamin Franklin