New platform combines secure document storage, AI-powered obituary writing, and digital memorials in response to the widespread end-of-life planning gap
CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, January 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — BestFarewell, a new AI-powered estate planning platform, launched to address a critical gap in end-of-life preparation.
With many people not having and end-of-life plan according to recent studies, the platform aims to make the process accessible and affordable for families worldwide by combining secure document storage, AI-assisted content creation, and digital memorial services in a single comprehensive solution.
The platform was created by Chicago-based software engineer Jay Wilburn following a personal experience that revealed the widespread challenges families face when dealing with loss unprepared.
When Wilburn’s grandfather passed away, his family expected heartbreak. What they didn’t expect was chaos.
Critical documents were scattered or missing entirely. Even notifying friends and family became a painful guessing game, compounded by uncertainty and emotional exhaustion. In a moment meant for remembrance, the family found themselves overwhelmed by logistics, confusion, and stress.
“That experience broke something open for me,” Wilburn says. “Grief is heavy enough on its own. But when families are forced to search for paperwork, passwords, and answers while they’re hurting, it adds a layer of trauma that never needed to exist.”
That moment became the catalyst for BestFarewell.com, designed to bring order, clarity, and connection to end-of-life moments, before families ever reach a breaking point.
At its core, the platform helps families prepare, protect, and share critical information in one secure place. Encrypted digital vaults store essential documents, wills, insurance policies, medical directives, estate plans, and personal instructions. Access can be granted instantly to trusted family members, caregivers, or professionals, removing uncertainty when time and clarity matter most.
But BestFarewell goes beyond logistics.
One of the platform’s most human-centered tools is SageLink AI, designed to help families write heartfelt obituaries when words are hardest to find. Rather than producing generic text, SageLink AI guides families through memory, meaning, and legacy. Turning fragmented thoughts into something personal, respectful, and true.
“People don’t want something robotic,” Wilburn explains. “They want help finding the right words without feeling like they’re outsourcing their grief. SageLink was built to support, not replace, that human moment.”
The platform also includes digital memorials, shared spaces where families and friends can gather online to remember a loved one, share stories, post photos, and honor a life together. In an era where families are often spread across cities, states, or countries, these memorials help bridge physical distance.
“Loss can feel isolating,” Wilburn says. “We wanted to create a place where people could come together instead of feeling scattered. Where grief feels shared instead of carried alone.”
BestFarewell is intentionally designed to be proactive, not reactive. Families can organize information long before it’s needed, reducing the burden on loved ones later.
While AI plays a role, Wilburn is clear about its purpose.
“This isn’t about replacing human connection,” he says. “It’s about removing unnecessary pain. Technology should step in quietly, do its job, and then get out of the way so people can focus on what actually matters. Each other.”
Wilburn’s technical expertise, combined with a firsthand understanding of the challenges families face during loss, informed the platform’s development from conception through launch.
As conversations around end-of-life planning continue to grow, BestFarewell positions itself not as a necessity but as an act of care. The platform frames preparation not as dwelling on death, but as protecting the people you love from confusion and distress when they’re most vulnerable.
BestFarewell.com is now live and available to families nationwide, offering a secure, compassionate way to plan ahead, preserve memories, and honor life with dignity.
For more information, visit www.bestfarewell.com
Jay Wilburn
BestFarewell
+1 630-765-5971
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
