A stranger hired me to make his memorial video. Spending his final 3 weeks with him changed my life.
A legacy-story business owner recounts his experience documenting the final weeks of Larry Aaronson, a beloved former high school teacher. The project evolved from a simple memorial video request into a profound exploration of community and human connection.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing niche industry of end-of-life legacy documentation and the importance of storytelling in personal history.
The author interviewed his client at an assisted living facility. Courtesy of the author Larry Aaronson contacted me after seeing the first Facebook ad for my legacy-story business. He wanted to record his extraordinary life while he was still able to tell the stories himself. I ended up documenting the community that surrounded him through his final days. It started with a Facebook ad in late April. Eighty-five-year-old Larry Aaronson responded on the first day. When I called, he said immediately that he was in the hospital, that he had "about a year to live", and that he wanted me to produce a video for his memorial service . My business, Heritage Stories , helps older people capture their legacies. I hadn't exactly planned on producing end-of-life videos. I also wasn't intimidated by the gravity of the ask.
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