James Rising's Death Wishes

Initial Thoughts

My death means very little to me, except as a last opportunity to have some welcome effects on others, if I can. If anything here is an inconvenience without amelioration, ignore it.

Legalize

I, James Rising, a resident of Chicago, Illinois, being of sound and disposing mind and memory and over the age of eighteen (18) years, and not being actuated by any duress, menace, fraud, mistake, or undue influence, do make, publish, and declare this to be my last Will, hereby expressly revoking all Wills and Codicils previously made by me.

I appoint Johanna Rising as Executor of this my Last Will and Testament and provide if this Executor is unable or unwilling to serve then I appoint Elizabeth Martens as alternate Executor. My Executor shall be authorized to carry our all provisions of this Will and pay my just debts, obligations, and funeral expenses.

Conditions (living will)

Do not perform extraordinary measures to keep me alive or to restart my body functions if they naturally stop.

If I am brain dead, it is my wish that my body be removed from life support at the earliest convenience. My organs may be removed before or after for medicine or science.
If I am insane beyond reach, but not in great pain, I wish to be set free in a vast wilderness (cost permitting).
If I am senile to the point of forgetting myself, I want my friends and family to stay far away.

Subject to these conditions, I designate Johanna Rising with durable power of attorney for healthcare.

Near-death Wishes

I would prefer to die at home.

Loved ones are welcome to be around me at my dying, but I would prefer no others. If I am capable, I may send some loved ones away, but it would not be a reflection of any less love.

I do not want any spiritual guide during my final moments.

Unless it causes extreme discomfort, I want to be taken off any medications in time to spend at least a day with their effects out of my system.

I want to die in approximate silence, and without recorded sounds in particular. I would ask that anyone with me at the time maintain silence until I am gone.

Biographic Notes

I, James Albert Rising, was born September 17, 1981 in California, USA, the son of Kathy Mary Michelsen (b. June 10, 1958) and James Reed Rising (b. May 8, 1957, d. August 6, 1991), married May 5, 1979. I lived with them and my sister, Elizabeth Mary Rising (b. November 12, 1981) in Tujunga, CA, Redwood Valley, CA, and then also with Joseph Nardoni (b. May 13, 1958) in Lowell, MA. I attended MIT (1999 - 2003, BS in Philosophy) where I was a member of the Experimental Study Group, the Society for Creative Anachronism, and Random Hall. While there, Lee Perlman and Vanessa Layne had lasting impacts on me. I taught at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (2003 - 2005), practiced software development (2005 - 2010), attended Columbia University for a Ph.D. (2010 - 2015, Ph.D. in Sustainable Development), and researched at UC Berkeley (2015 - 2017) and the University of Chicago (2017). I proposed to Johanna Goetzel (b. January 17, 1984) on March 19, 2013 and married her on May 28, 2017.

Final Words

I love you. Be good.

Also, I'll answer one last question from beyond the grave from each person who goes to my ceremony (see below), if I can. Write your question on a piece of food (like frosting on cake or scratched into pita bread), and then eat it. Be particular, or coordinate with others (I'd hate to answer "What's death like?" fifty times). Be ready for my answer sometime before you leave.

Ceremony

I want my funeral to be a party. Rejoice, for I am one with the universe after a life full of joy, and I want you to take joy in it too. Dress code is creative (all black is not permitted).

The music should be Burning Man eclectic and contemporary, and light. The food and drink should be from throughout the world.

Ideally, there would be space away from the party to say goodbye in a calm setting. I do not want a wake. But a small symbolic shrine at the party might be nice.

Any affect not designated below may be auctioned at the party.

Preparation

I hereby make the anatomical gift of all my needed organs and tissues, if medically acceptable, to take effect upon my death. They may be used for medicine or science.

The remainder I want cremated, and the ashes scattered.

Affects

One third of my liquid assets and all auction profits should form a fund or be donated to a fund to support community-driven education initiatives. The remaining two thirds go to Johanna Rising, with half earmarked as described below.

My liquid assests are contained in Logix (Lockheed) Federal Credit Union and MIT Federal Credit Union accounts, Calvert Mutual funds, ShareBuilder managed stocks, and U.S. Treasure Bonds, and TIAA/CREF and Fidelity Investments retirement funds. I also have $1000 life insurance through CMFG Life Insurance Company, by way of MITFCU.

My material affects are contained in my Chicago apartment, my New York City storage cube, my parents' basement and attic in Lowell, Johanna's parents' basement in Wellfleet, and bottles in my uncle Paul Michelsen's barn.

My records, notes, and "private" information upon my death are public. In addition, one third of my liquid assets is to be paid as salary to Johanna Rising (or someone she appoints) in return for sorting through and making usefully public other projects of mine.

The electronic products I have produced are available at Projects Blog, Personal Home Page, Professional Home Page, Transience Divine LiveJournal, My MIT Homepage, and My Picture Albums. There are also individual projects of note, including Travelers Network, Open Estimate Aggregator Site, and Genealogy Information. Data are stored in Dropbox, pCloud, and Google Drive.

My books

Every friend and relative is entitled to one book, movie, or CD per hour, from the time this is announced after my death. First come, first serve.

Parting Thoughts

Love differences, embrace change, everyone of us is a god.

The Song of Seikilos

As long as you live, shine,
Let nothing grieve you beyond measure.
For your life is short,
And time will claim its tribute.

The Parting Glass

Of all the money e'er I had, I spent it in good company;
And all the harm I've ever done, alas was done to none but me;
And all I've done for want of wit, to memory now I can't recall,
So fill me to the parting glass, goodnight and joy be with you all.

Of all the comrades e'er I had, they're sorry for my going away,
And all the sweethearts e'er I had , they wish me one more day to stay,
But since it falls unto my lot that I should go and you should not,
I'll gently rise and softly call, goodnight and joy be with you all.

If I had money enough to spend and leisure time to sit awhile,
There is a fair maid in this town who sorely has my heart beguiled.
Her rosy cheeks and ruby lips, I own she has my heart in thrall,
So fill me to the parting glass, goodnight and joy be with you all.

Memorial

Please plant a tree to remember me by.

If something I've done deserves a memorial beyond those now living, I would like it to be something like the below: an arch with no personal representation.

Future Work

Make sure family members have keys to my apartment and storage places.
Write instructions for basic things if I'm unable (ill or stranded) to tend to them.
Write instructions concerning my commitments.
Make a list of what assets (tangible and intangible) can be found where.
Make a list of assets in my possession that aren't mine.

Write a Life Review Letter

Follow template at Stanford Life Review Project.
Make 1 page (at any point in my life), with whatever content I want to pass on.
Add a preamble, with most of the rest (e.g., memories and forgiveness).
Current version at My Life Review Letter.

Letting Go Exercise (from "Consider the Conversation discussion guide")

My twelve important things:

Three people who are dear to you: Kathy Nardoni, Johanna Goetzel, Elizabeth Rising
Three possessions you value: My harp, a copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, existencia
Three activities you especially enjoy: Programming, conversation, travel
Three personal characteristics of which you are proud: My conceptual ingenuity, my constitution, my freedom

The game: 1 year of terminal illness: 3 months, tear up 3; 6 months, tear up 3; 9 months, tear up 2; 12 months, tear up 2; turn over the last two, the leader takes one, I turn over and tear up the other.