THE LEGACY OF DUNCAN FINDLAY

When friends & family ask how The Family PACT came to be, the answer always begins with one person: our Dad, Duncan.

In fact, when we first started talking about this business, we almost called it "Dunc's Doc." While we ultimately chose a different name, the inspiration has always remained the same.

Duncan was an accountant by profession, but those who knew him would tell you that accounting was only part of who he was.

He was an exceptionally caring individual with a corny sense of humour (you'll find his picture in the dictionary beside "Dad jokes.")

He was also incredibly organized, attentive to detail, and believed that being prepared was simply part of living a responsible life.

Long before technology became woven into our everyday routines, Dad embraced it with enthusiasm.

He spent countless hours on his desktop computer, his iPad and, later, his iPhone. (Our Mom would probably say more than countless!)

He created documents.

He kept notes.

He researched.

He joined online communities.

He managed memberships.

He shopped online.

He explored new technology with genuine curiosity and wasn't afraid to learn something new, regardless of his age.

Like many people, the information that made up his life gradually expanded over the years—banking, investments, insurance, taxes, memberships, subscriptions, legal documents, personal records, online accounts, and much more.

Unlike many people, however, Dad had a system.

More importantly, he had a purpose.

Both our Mom and Dad often said they never wanted to become a burden to their family.

They understood that life eventually presents unexpected challenges, and they believed that a little preparation today could make tomorrow much easier for the people they loved.

Dad took that philosophy to heart.

He created a detailed Microsoft Word document titled "What Happens When We Die?"

He also assembled a substantial binder that lived in his filing cabinet.

Together, they contained virtually every piece of information someone might need—from financial accounts and important documents to memberships, personal records, notes and, yes... all of those passwords.

At the time, we never imagined how valuable those resources would become.

When Dad passed away, what could have been months of uncertainty and frustration became something very different.

Instead of searching through filing cabinets, wondering where accounts were held or trying to piece together important information, we had clarity.

We had guidance.

We had answers.

Most importantly, we had one less thing to worry about during an already difficult time.

Looking back, we realize that the binder wasn't really about documents.

It was an expression of who Dad was.

Thoughtful.

Prepared.

Organized.

Always thinking ahead.

Those qualities inspired us to ask a simple question:

What if every family had something like this?

That answer eventually became The Family PACT.

While today's world is very different from when Dad first created his binder, the need hasn't changed.

In many ways, it has only grown.

We all have more accounts, more subscriptions, more devices, more digital information, and more responsibilities than ever before.

The Family PACT was created to provide a simple framework for bringing all of that information together in one organized place—not because we expect something to happen tomorrow, but because being organized simply makes life easier.

For us, this project is much more than a business.

It is our way of honouring Duncan's legacy and sharing a lesson he taught us without ever intending to:

One of the greatest gifts you can leave your family is not money or possessions—it's clarity.

So, thank you, Dad.

We love you.

We miss you.

...and yes, every now and then, we still miss your corny jokes!!