A death in the family …

“First we give them a hug,” said Harold Picard, speaking of the widows who come to the Retired Affairs Office for help.

“When the husband dies, everything stops,” he continued. “They come in and have financial problems. A person is paid from the first of the month through the day of death. We call the Defense Finance Center to notify them of the death and to send any forms for annuities. We also ask for Survivor Benefit forms, if entitled.”

Picard, a former base Command Master Chief, and Duane Kemp, a former NAS Whidbey Island Executive Officer, work with eight other volunteers from all branches of service. Their small, windowless office in building 13 on the Seaplane Base is private enough to make one feel unhurried while going through personal papers.

“Come here first,” Kemp advised. “Don’t wait for the death certificate. It’s important to get things moving.”

They’ve just helped their 990th widow with her paperwork. “That’s our most important job,” Picard added.

The day I stopped by, LAURETTE DUNN was checking on her Survivor Benefits claim. Her gratitude was unmistakable. “They are wonderful,” she said.

Everyone who comes in gets a checklist of suggested forms to complete before someone dies or is deemed medically incompetent. It has reminders to locate titles, deeds, securities and other important papers beforehand and determine if the spouse has a Living Will, reciprocal power of attorney, joint property agreement and a current will. If not, Navy Legal Service Office on Ault Field can help. “There is plenty one can do beforehand,” Kemp said.

“A lot of guys who die are not retired, but they still need the information,” Picard said.

If you are a military retiree and just have questions about your benefits, they can help you, too. Call 360-257-8054/5. Normal hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Coming in September…

The Retired Affairs Office, in conjunction with the Fleet and Family Information Center, will hold a free retiree seminar from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 on Saturday, Sept. 10, in the Nor’Wester Activity Center. Doors open at 7:30 a.m.

Spread the word…

“Front Street is done,” said Coupeville Mayor NANCY CONARD in a call last week. I was misinformed about completion of roadwork.

“All businesses are open, so come on down and do some shopping!”

See you at the Coupeville Arts Festival Aug. 13 and 14.

Hey, that’s Helen…

HELEN BATES, a recent guest on KOMO TV’s Northwest Afternoon, was unfortunately billed as the Whidbey Island grandmother who is BTK’s “pen pal.”

Helen set the record straight, telling the audience that she had interviewed Dennis Rader’s pastor, detectives and other people who knew and worked with him. Only then did she write to Rader to ask if he’d help her with her book.

“I told him (Rader) I felt he was BTK and a serial killer, and he did not deny this. When he answered me, he asked that we keep our correspondence ‘open’ for now, as his case was pending. This was written BEFORE his confession in court.”

Bates has several family members living in Wichita. She researched the 30-year-old case in the basement of the Main Wichita Public Library where BTK had dropped off a message less than a month before her visit.  

Change of plans…

Oak Harbor High School graduate and long-time resident Benjamin Waite and his wife Abby have been living in England since 1999. On Thursday morning, July 7, Ben, his wife and their new daughter Isobel (Izzy) were scheduled to take the train down to Kings Cross station in London where they’d transfer to the Tube (the subway system). 

They changed their plans at the last minute and decided to go into London on Friday instead. In a phone call to his father Bill, Ben said if they had followed their original Thursday schedule, they would have just gotten off the train and made their way into the Kings Cross underground Tube station at the time the terrorists’ bomb exploded.

Coincidence? I call it intuition. Stay safe and I’ll see you on July 27. Call me at 675-6611 or write lifeonwhidbey@yahoo.com.

gh Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Coming in September …

The Retired Affairs Office, in conjunction with the Fleet and Family Information Center, will hold a free retiree seminar from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 on Saturday, Sept. 10, in the Nor’Wester Activity Center. Doors open at 7:30 a.m.

Spread the word …

“Front Street is done,” said Coupeville Mayor NANCY CONARD in a call last week. I was misinformed about completion of roadwork.

“All businesses are open, so come on down and do some shopping!”

See you at the Coupeville Arts Festival Aug. 13 and 14.

Hey, that’s Helen …

HELEN BATES, a recent guest on KOMO TV’s Northwest Afternoon, was unfortunately billed as the Whidbey Island grandmother who is BTK’s “pen pal.”

Helen set the record straight, telling the audience that she had interviewed Dennis Rader’s pastor, detectives and other people who knew and worked with him. Only then did she write to Rader to ask if he’d help her with her book.

“I told him (Rader) I felt he was BTK and a serial killer, and he did not deny this. When he answered me, he asked that we keep our correspondence ‘open’ for now, as his case was pending. This was written BEFORE his confession in court.”

Bates has several family members living in Wichita. She researched the 30-year-old case in the basement of the Main Wichita Public Library where BTK had dropped off a message less than a month before her visit.  

Change of plans …

Oak Harbor High School graduate and long-time resident Benjamin Waite and his wife Abby have been living in England since 1999. On Thursday morning, July 7, Ben, his wife and their new daughter Isobel (Izzy) were scheduled to take the train down to Kings Cross station in London where they’d transfer to the Tube (the subway system). 

They changed their plans at the last minute and decided to go into London on Friday instead. In a phone call to his father Bill, Ben said if they had followed their original Thursday schedule, they would have just gotten off the train and made their way into the Kings Cross underground Tube station at the time the terrorists’ bomb exploded.

Coincidence? I call it intuition. Stay safe and I’ll see you on July 27. Call me at 675-6611 or write lifeonwhidbey@yahoo.com.