Philip Jalwan, known as “Best Papa” by his family, was the life of the party. Always the center of attention and always the first to get up on stage at any opportunity, he was dedicated to living “the good life.”
When Philip was younger, he worked tirelessly to support his family . As an accountant, tax season was particularly stressful. It was during one of these stressful tax seasons that Philip developed ulcers that truly scared him. After getting these ulcers, he set his sights on pursuing “the good life.” This meant a life full of good food, good music, traveling to beautiful places, and enjoying all that life had to offer. It also meant a life full of love and joy – his grandkids were his world and he took every opportunity to instill a sense of joy and laughter into their lives (and the lives of others). Known as Uncle Phil to people who weren’t related, the neighborhood Santa for all the kids on the street, and the Easter Bunny for Easter, he tried his best to spread love wherever he went.
Philip passed away on April 11th, 2022 after a short battle with COVID. Though Philip’s family was unprepared for his loss, they focused on honoring Philip’s life and his wishes after passing. While his family hadn’t discussed specific details in end-of-life planning, Phil had made it clear that he did not want a sad and somber funeral. He told his family that he wanted a big party to celebrate his life. The responsibility of planning the party and end-of-life tasks fell to his wife, Mary, and his daughters. While his wife focused on the logistics of coordinating a celebration of life for Philip, his daughter, Kristin, started searching for ways she could help. Knowing Philip had lots of friends and family from all over the country, Kristin wanted a platform to invite friends and family to the events and share photos and memories of Philip’s life.
Kristin eventually landed on Ever Loved due to its easy-to-use interface, the ability to post and share unlimited photos, and the ability to help coordinate funeral events with folks all over the country. In addition, Kristin really wanted something that was personalized to Philip and not just an obituary posted among thousands of others. She appreciated the customizable nature of Philip’s memorial site to make his site stand out from others, as well as the prompts on the page to encourage visitors to think about different ways that Philip impacted their life.
Philip’s memorial website is complete with photos throughout his life, memories from loving friends and family, and even a video of Philip speaking Spanish for a course he took as an adult. Philip’s impact on his community is also evident through the successful fundraiser on his memorial page, in which the family raised money to support Philip’s grandchildren’s education. His appreciation for–and dedication to–the good life is evident throughout his memorial website and is best summed up by a quote the family included in Philip’s obituary: “One day your life will flash before your eyes, make sure it’s worth watching.”
Create a memorial website