Eric and Rachael Lipscomb first met in the early 2000s as students at DeSales University in Lehigh County. He came from northern New Jersey, and she was from Phoenixville, Chester County.
Both were attracted to the Catholic university where they could grow in faith. They met and became friends during a campus retreat.
After graduation – he in 2005, and she in 2007 – they fell out of touch, though they reconnected later in their young adult lives, and were married in 2018.
The couple currently resides in Coopersburg, Lehigh County. Eric works as a cook for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, a congregation of religious priests and brothers in Center Valley.
Rachael is a Customer Care Lead at Raymour and Flanigan Furniture and a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. She is also responsible for livestreaming Masses from the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena Parish in Allentown, the couple’s home parish.
Being newly married, having a will wasn’t a top priority for them since they hadn’t yet acquired many financial assets and they had no children.
The thought about wills first occurred to Eric when his father passed away three years ago, leaving behind a folder containing important documents.
“The folder had ‘DEATH’ written on it in big letters,” said Eric. While they were dealing with feelings of grief and loss, the folder, “made things easier for my mother and myself,” he said.
The experience made Eric and Rachael realize that they needed wills, even though they are still relatively young.
“I’m getting older. I’m 41 now,” said Eric. “It’s a good time to do this, since I’m sort of at a halfway point in life.”
“I thought we should have something in place,” said Rachael, especially since Eric manages most of the couple’s financial paperwork. “That’s not my strong suit.”
Only 32% of adults reported having a will in 2024, down from 34% in 2023, according to the 2024 Wills and Estate Planning Study from Caring.com, an online senior care platform.
If you’re considering making a will, ask yourself these questions:
Do you have a bank account? What about investments or digital assets? Are you a parent? Do you own a pet? Do you own your home? Do you own a business? Are you on social media?
If you said yes to even one of these questions, a will is essential.
During August, the Diocese of Allentown celebrates Make-a-Will Month. FreeWill is a free, diocesan online estate planning tool, which promises to help you create or update your legally‑binding will in only 20 minutes.
Eric and Rachael used the FreeWill tool and said they were pleased with the results.
“It was pretty simple and straight-forward,” said Eric. He said that finally having a complete will gives him “peace of mind.”
“It was really easy,” agreed Rachael. “It asks you questions and gives you options. It gives you a guide. There were some multiple-choice questions, and some questions with blank spaces to write your own thoughts. It walked you through the process very easily.”
Eric appreciated that the FreeWill tool asked about funeral arrangements – such as selecting Mass readings and music – and gave him the opportunity to state his parting words to family and friends when his will is read.
“It’s an optional thing, but it made me pause and think what I want to be remembered for,” he said.
“It makes you think of a lot of stuff I hadn’t thought about,” agreed Rachael.
She also found that the FreeWill tool made it easy for her to provide for her favorite charities in her will. “There was no need to have the EIN,” she said, and her favorite charities “were easy to find.”
You may also be interested in sustaining the mission of your parish, Catholic school, diocese, and other favorite diocesan ministries for future generations.
A legacy gift in a will, known as a bequest, sustains the mission of your parish, Catholic school, or ministry for generations to come. The partnership between FreeWill and the Diocese of Allentown can help parishioners create their will for free and easily include a legacy gift.
If people are concerned about the security of their information, it’s comforting to know that FreeWill encrypts all customer data and never shares data without permission.
For more information about FreeWill, visit their website at https://www.freewill.com/allentowndiocese.
