In 2012, shortly after I retired, I made a life changing decision. I would not leave my family facing the chaos and confusion that so often follows the death of a loved one. This commitment grew from years of witnessing emotional and logistical struggles- first as a Registered Nurse and later in CEO roles within hospitals and medical laboratories.   Too often families disagreed about what their loved one would have wanted, leading to unnecessary stress and at times lasting estrangement.  Personal experiences- supporting a close friend who refused to plan and having to search for documents after my parents passed away- further strengthened my resolve to take action.

Although my husband and I had spent our careers running complex organizations, we realized we had not applied the same care to our personal affairs.  I began compiling essential information in a simple binder. Over five years it evolved as I added topics and refined the contents. Because we worked on it during a time of good health, even difficult conversations felt manageable- and sometimes were shared with laughter.



In June 2016 I organized a business program on Advanced Health Care Directives, featuring a physician speaker. I offered my binder as a handout, and to my surprise a wealth manager asked to purchase copies for his clients. The moment revealed a broader need.  

Before sharing the workbook more widely, I worked with professionals to edit, design and refine it. By early 2017, hundreds of shrink wrapped copies had been sold through word of mouth alone. I soon realized that a website - and digital access- would allow the workbook to reach far more people. 

Around this time, I was reconnected with Steve Harris whose father I had worked with previously. Steve had also worked for my husband and me almost twenty years earlier when he was a teenager helping with our home computers.   In the intervening years, after university and an initial career working for large companies, Steve used his entrepreneurial skills and built a very successful online business. www.wocode.com   In March 2017, Steve became my business partner. His expertise –and the support of his global virtual team- was instrumental to our success.

We launched our website in April 2017 www.estateworkbook.com, offering digital downloads and later hardcopies. Designed to be broadly applicable, the Departing Details Workbook is now used in 23 countries as of the end of 2025.   

Our mission is simple: to help people plan ahead, reduce stress, and encourage meaningful conversations with loved ones. Planning ahead is not just practical – it’s an act of love and kindness for your family.



Wishing you peace of mind,

Rosemary Pahl

Author and Partner,

Departing Details Workbook.