I was raised on a dryland wheat and dairy farm near Otis, a small town in northeastern Colorado. For me, eighteen adolescent years of drought, hail storms and helping milk forty cows every morning and night made the handwriting on the milk barn wall crystal clear: HEY, STEVE… THERE’S NO FUTURE IN FARMING FOR YOU! And so I headed to college instead.

The only problem: no money. So I worked through school — the University of Colorado in Boulder — enrolled first as a fine arts major and then the business school, paying my way as a dishwasher, then a mortuary nightman / apprentice.* (See * at bottom.)

After graduation, I joined an ad agency in Chicago and began a 40-year career in marketing / advertising with industry-leading businesses. I developed and managed successful marketing and sales promotion programs for many national companies. It was a busy time.

Then after retiring a few years ago, my personal life slowed wa-a-a-a-ay down. To fill up Tuesday mornings I joined a group comprised of other retired men and made the mistake of mentioning assorted (sordid probably a more accurate term) mortuary memories to fellow members. Despite the initial gasps, oh-my-Gods and laughs, everyone (okay… nearly everyone) exclaimed, “That’s absolutely fascinating. You need to write a book!” So as they say, the rest is history.

Today my wife and I live on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula just a few steps from the sparkling waters of Puget Sound, surrounded by blue mountains and green forests and wonderfully entertained by black bears, bobcats, coyotes, eagles, hummingbirds and orcas.

*While with the mortuary I observed hundreds of families traumatized by the loss of loved ones, the survivors (usually the wives) returning home wholly unprepared to carry on by themselves. Most had no plan for living life alone. Sadly, it’s a problem that’s still pervasive today, one that often causes physical and financial hardship on the partner left behind. However, it need not be that way. That’s why I developed a digital workbook titled LIFE-ALONE PLANNER and offer it as a gift to everyone. Visit https://coffeeanddonuts.biz to download the PLANNER. It’s FREE, my “public service” to humankind.

I encourage all couples to take advantage of the PLANNER so they’re prepared for the time when one of them will likely live life alone. As we live the final years of our lives, nothing is more important than achieving PEACE OF MIND.