Some things to consider when you ponder the possibility
that some close family member or
family researcher you know was to pass away

(obviously there could be many aspects - - the focus here is from the perspective of their genealogical research – and not the mourning of their loss)

ONE CAVEAT – nothing herein should be construed to be “legal advice”.   In a specific case of your own – contact your own lawyer as needed)

How many of you know of a family researcher who amassed a large amount of research and activity  and then passed away and chaos ensued as to their records.  
Here are some tips that any person should follow - so that if anything  happened to them - their research would live on  in a way that would not create mass  chaos upon their death.

I'm sure I must have missed various things - so any feedback as to other items would be greatly appreciated.

• Family Researchers should have a record  on paper file of their online genealogy accounts, user id’s and passwords  (stored securely but with someone close knowing where)  - and this applies to any account types for that matter.  Keep in mind that another person (in the close family)  after the point of death – may be able to log on – and change things such as email address and credit card info – so as to be able to retain the life of the account and transfer ownership to a new “custodian”.   In some cases you may wish to advise the vendor that the user is now deceased – but one should consider the possibility that in many cases this may not be the smart thing to do.   You may be able to transfer the account to a new "custodian" without the vendor even really realizing the person is deceased - and in many cases that may be perfectly ok.
  
  Online Genealogical accounts could include as an example:  FamilySearch, Ancestry, Findagrave etc.

• The Researcher should make sure that very select trustworthy few people have access to Credit Card Records/accounts.
  In association with the above bullet – realize  that any credit cards on file with paid genealogical services – will need to be updated if the intent is to keep the account alive.
  Credit Card companies will usually not honor transactions made after the person’s death date. (Don’t think you will somehow get away with creating credit card transactions after the death of the person and then not have to pay)
  
   
• Among accounts that you should consider are also email accounts.  (which could be both work and personal).   Is there important information that is being kept in email format? Consider the possibility that a researcher who generates a lot of genealogy related email – should consider ways to extract those records from the email – and store them in pdf format on a portable hard drive  or in a cloud storage system.   There may be ways to mass extract emails to a pdf file - without having to do it one by one - if you do your research on the subject.   Consider that it might (or might not – depending ) be good for someone to send a mass email out to  address book members to advise the of the death.  
  
  
• Does the researcher have recorded in some location that few select others will know – a list of genealogical databases that may be on their computer and/or stored elsewhere.
  
  What is there intention about who these should be passed on to.   Consider the fact that information on “living persons” could be in these files. Consider though that passing these data file on to the right person – could really eliminate  countless hours of data input by someone trying to replicate what the deceased once had.
  
  
  
• Some researchers have compiled genealogical books and reports based off of a genealogical database – preserving this database and passing on to someone who knows how to use it – could allow for a future updated release of the compilation – with someone else making additional additions and updates (without having to re-enter eveything from scratch)
  
  
  
• Paper records – Researchers should really highly consider the option to digitize paper records – while they are still alive and can do it.  They should also look into options of “high speed scanning”  versus the very slow personal desk top scanner.   Most large office copy machines now days – can scan hundreds of pages in a minute or two.   Scanning can take much less time than the average person thinks - if the right tools and methodologies are used.
  Also in my experience way too many people wait to digitize until after they have there records cleaned up, after they have it organized, after they write a book or report, after they have all the photos labeled . . . after, after, after,  and before we know it they are six feet under . . . and we have nothing. . . when we could have had a digital copy - even if of less organized records - if they would have only done that FIRST and not LAST.   Organizing, sorting, labeling, annotating can all be done with digital records - much easier than it can be with paper records.

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And if you are someone that thinks you have many decades ahead of you
dont forget that "proverbial bus"  that everyone keeps warning us of - that we may get hit by.
Who knows . . .   tomorrow could be that day.