A Collection of Checklists to Help with Remembrance and Organizing Personal Belongings and Digital Records After a Funeral

Organizing personal belongings is one of the most challenging processes for families after a funeral. It's hard to simply throw away items that have the deceased's touch, such as clothes, books, glasses, watches, letters, and everyday items. Instead of trying to organize everything at once, it's best to sort items into boxes or bags labeled for keeping, sharing among family, donating, or disposing of. Items that are difficult to decide on can be stored in a 'box to look at later.' Since each family grieves at a different pace, discussing decisions with major family members rather than making unilateral choices can reduce conflicts.

Photos and videos of the deceased become important memories for the family over time. Before organizing those scattered across mobile phones, cameras, computers, cloud storage, and messenger chats, it's best to back them up first. If one person keeps all the files, there's a risk of loss, so it's wise to save them in more than one place, such as on an external hard drive and in the cloud. Photos that family members want to see together can be organized into a remembrance album or shared folder. However, personal photos or materials that the deceased did not wish to make public should be carefully considered when deciding the sharing range.

When organizing the deceased's mobile phone, it's crucial to check the connected information before simply canceling the communication service. Financial apps, certificates, message notifications, photos, contacts, notes, subscription services, and two-factor authentication may be tied to the phone. A hasty reset or cancellation of the phone could make it difficult to access necessary accounts. Some services may require family relations and proof of death documents, so it's advisable to first create a list of which apps and accounts exist and gather information necessary for financial and administrative procedures. The verification process should also be responsibly conducted by a family representative for privacy protection.

After the funeral, families often ponder what to do with the deceased's SNS and email accounts. Some platforms offer procedures for memorializing or deleting accounts of the deceased, while others may require proof of family relationships and death. Keeping the account can preserve memories, but birthday reminders or automated posts can be painful for the family. Conversely, deleting them hastily could make it difficult to recover photos and messages. It’s best to back up materials that the family wants to preserve first and then decide on whether to memorialize or delete the account while respecting the deceased's privacy.

Among personal belongings, emotionally significant items are mixed with administratively important documents. Letters, photos, souvenirs, and well-used items can be kept for remembrance, but documents like insurance policies, contracts, real estate papers, bank books, tax notices, and copies of IDs may be vital for inheritance and financial organization. Mixing these two types makes it difficult to find necessary documents later. It's advisable to file documents by institution and store memory items in a designated box or space agreed upon by the family. Additionally, creating photos or scans of important documents can reduce the risk of loss.

The ways to remember the deceased vary by family. You might create a small photo space in the house, gather for meals on anniversaries, share an online album, or regularly visit a columbarium. The important thing is to avoid selecting a method that is too burdensome during the initial period of grief. Consider whether the family can maintain it over the long term, whether the management burden doesn't fall on specific family members only, and whether it's a way for children to remember together. Remembrance is less about leaving behind many items and more about creating a rhythm for the family to remember the deceased.