Gallery

Founder Vault

USA

About our Founder: Mike Harding Death is an uncomfortable topic, but it is something that binds us all together.Recently, I watched a documentary where celebrities recorded intentional, final messages to the world, kept strictly private until they passed. It struck a chord with me. In the last few years, I’ve lost my parents and step-parents. I served as the executor for their estates, trying to settle their affairs. I learned the hard way that no matter how well-prepared you think you are, it is a chaotic time. Trying to sort through a lifetime of physical and digital assets while you are dealing with profound grief is overwhelming.I realized there had to be a better way to prepare for that final reckoning—not just for ourselves, but as a final act of care for the people we leave behind.I spent my career building secure, highly scalable technology systems. I aided in the design the original firewall and security infrastructure for Charles Schwab’s very first web-trading platform. I have led global software engineering teams for Fortune 500 technology companies including Sun Microsystems, Juniper Networks, and Cisco, and I currently work as a technical expert witness investigating complex digital forensics and cybersecurity cases and operate a web and application design and hosting company.I know how to build and operate secure systems, and I know the pain of settling an unprepared estate. I combined those two realities to build My Last Words.My Last Words is a secure digital vault designed to solve the exact problems I faced as an executor. It is a place to record a final intentional message, store your will, share your healthcare power of attorney, and organize your digital life in compartments that only become visible when the time is right and to the right people.What you are looking at right now is my Public Vault. Feel free to poke around the digital assets I’ve left in the public drawer to see how the system works. My private and personal vault is also hosted on My Last Words and will be made available when I die to my descendants and to the broader public for certain items.When you are ready to sort your own life out and spare your family the chaos of guessing, I invite you to create your own vault.

Technoblade aka Alexander

Alexander, known online as Technoblade, was an American YouTuber known for his Minecraft videos, livestreams, and involvement in the Dream SMP. Technoblade registered his main channel on YouTube in 2013. His videos consisted primarily of Minecraft gameplay, particularly on the minigame server Hypixel. After rising to popularity in 2019 for his performances in player versus player (PvP) events, Technoblade was invited to the Dream SMP Minecraft server in 2020, further increasing his following.In August 2021, Technoblade announced his diagnosis with cancer. Following unsuccessful treatment attempts, Technoblade died from metastatic sarcoma in June 2022, which prompted widespread reactions across both the Minecraft and YouTube communities.His father reads his last words in this video.

Dave Snelling

Michigan

This is a touching video for a son followed by a son's video montage of his father's life, well lived. Well worth the watch.

Anita Wright

Randy Pausch

Baltimore, Maryland

Randy Pausch was an American educator, a professor of computer science, human–computer interaction, and design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Pausch learned he had pancreatic cancer in September 2006. In August 2007, he was given a terminal diagnosis: "three to six months of good health left". He gave an upbeat lecture titled, "The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" on September 18, 2007 at Carnegie Mellon, which became a popular YouTube video and led to other media appearances. He co-authored a book of the same name, The Last Lecture, which became a New York Times best-seller.Pausch died of complications from pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008, aged 47.The full video of the last lecture is available here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayPMfopCe1g&list=PL067950B03636F306

Donna Mason

Donna Mason Adams passed away January 20, 2024, after a valiant two-year battle with cancer. She was deeply loved by her family, her husband, and dozens of friends and former students. Donna was born June 28, 1964, in Burbank, CA. Her parents, Esther and Jerry Mason, raised 3 children in the San Fernando Valley. She was the youngest of the family and the only girl. The family enjoyed living all throughout Southern CA and eventually rooted in Encino, where her love for art and horses grew from when Donna attended Castlemont Elementary until she graduated from Chatsworth High School.She went on to Pierce College and Cal State Northridge, where Donna found her love of sculpting and continued to nurture her studio work for decades to come; winning contests, participating in dozens of art exhibits, and having her sculptures displayed in galleries all over the country. Soon after college, Donna married and welcomed 2 children: her son, Vaughn, and daughter, Rachael.After divorcing, the family settled in Thousand Oaks, where Donna continued to showcase her art and teach art classes, both independently and throughout the Conejo Valley within parks and recreation, senior centers, and the school district including 25 years with Madrona Elementary.Donna truly loved working with students, teaching the wonders of color, texture, and imagination. Alongside her passion for teaching art, she was an animal lover and rescuer. She spent many years caring for horses and contributed to a robust horse community for which she fostered a connection between animal lovers and was beloved by all. She loved adventuring whether it be hiking on the local trails or navigating the terrain of a foreign country.A pivotal event in her life was meeting her love, Matthew Burke, in 2007 where their magnanimous smiles and laughter delighted each other during an art exhibit at the Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks. Donna is survived by her husband Matthew, son Vaughn Adams, daughter Rachael Gildea (Sean), and grandson Owen.She was predeceased by her parents Esther (2009) and Jerry (2012). She was widely known for her remarkable loving and light-hearted energy, and will always be remembered for her radiant smile, enthusiasm for life, and beautiful spirit.Donna asked that donations in her memory be made to PANCAN - the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (http://support.pancan.org/goto/donnamasonadams) , ASPCA (https://secure.aspca.org/donate/memorial), and/or The Nature Conservancy (https://preserve.nature.org/page/81523/donate/) because she never wanted animals to be without love and felt deeply connected to nature and the environment.

Michelle Ng

Singapore

At 29 years old with terminal ovarian cancer, Michelle "Mike" Ng decided to celebrate her life with a living funeral. Her final video documents that event and her experiences. It's a great example of making the most of the time that you have.

Mohammed Ali

Louisville, Kentucky

I was an American professional boxer and activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "the Greatest", he is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He held the Ring magazine heavyweight title from 1964 to 1970, was the undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978, and was the WBA and Ring heavyweight champion from 1978 to 1979. In 1999, he was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.