Hampton Roads Chapter Military Officers Association of America
 
Chapter Committees'
Missions and Members


SURVIVING SPOUSES COMMITTEE
Mission:
Position
Name
Committee Chair
LtCol Matt Dumenigo
USMC (Ret)
Members
 
 
 
 
MOAA's Surviving Spouse Page
 
Click Here
MOAA continues to champion the issues of the surviving spouse community while providing expert guidance for financial and retirement planning for its members.
Managing Social Media Accounts After a Passing

How do I cancel an individual's social media accounts after they pass? My spouse passed away a few months ago and their social media accounts are still active.

Deactivating social media accounts of a loved one after their passing is a thoughtful measure that may often be overlooked. Social media plays a large role for many individuals, but when an individual passes away, their dormant accounts can become vulnerable to scammers who can hack into them and steal the deceased individual's identity.

Here is a breakdown of how you can cancel or modify various social media accounts after a loved one passes away.

Facebook: If your spouse used Facebook, you can either "memorialize" or "delete" the account. A memorialized account serves as a place where family and friends can share memories to celebrate the deceased person's life, with the word "Remembering" shown next to the deceased person's name. Once an account is memorialized, the account's postings are still visible on Facebook to the original audience. The user's profile, however, will not show up in public spaces such as people you may know, ads or birthday reminders.

Memorializing an account requires proof of death via death certificate, obituary or memorial card. If, however, you wish to delete the account, you will also need to verify that you are an immediate family member, legal representative or executor, unless you are the legacy contact on the deceased's account.

Instagram: The policy for deceased users' Instagram accounts is similar to Facebook's policy, since Meta owns both Facebook and Instagram. Your options are to either memorialize or remove the account on their website. But just like with Facebook, you will need to provide proof of death and your relationship to the deceased.

X (formerly Twitter): To deactivate an X account, search online for "How to contact X about a deceased family member's account" and follow the prompts to fill out a request. After you submit your request, X will email you with instructions for providing more details, including information about the deceased, a copy of your ID, and a copy of the deceased's death certificate.

YouTube and/or Google: Google and YouTube are owned by the same parent company. To close a Google or YouTube account, visit Google's support page and fill out their form and upload scans of the death certificate and your ID.

Pinterest: To remove a Pinterest account, email the site with the deceased user's account username, proof of death and proof of relationship to the deceased. If the account is connected to other accounts at Google, Facebook, or X, it is best to delete the Pinterest account before deleting the other accounts.

LinkedIn: To remove a deceased person's LinkedIn profile, submit a request with LinkedIn's Help center. You will need to provide the name and URL to the profile being deactivated, the relationship you have to the deceased, the email address, the date of passing and a link to an obituary.

Snapchat: To delete this account, access "Contact Us" on the company's support page and choose the option for "A person has passed away." From there, follow the prompts for submitting a request. If you do not have the login information, submit a request using their Contact Us form. You will need to submit information to locate the account, such as the username and proof such as a death certificate.

Tumblr: Send an email to Tumblr's Support page requesting removal of the account with the deceased person's Tumblr username, proof of their death and proof of your relationship to the deceased.

If your spouse had social media through a company not listed here, go to that company's website for information on how to delete the account. If they do not have easy to find information, submit a request through a contact page, help page or customer support request.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living" book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.
 

Surviving Spouse Corner: Finding a New Normal

By: Barbara Smith 
Excerpted from Military Officer magazine, November 1, 2022
 

Pictured at a 2019 MOAA event, from left: then-Surviving Spouse Advisory Committee Chair Anne Hartline, MOAA Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Regina Chavis, and then-committee members Patricia Farnsworth, Barbara Smith, Capt. Kathy Thorp, USN (Ret), and Micki Costello. (Photo by Lloyd Beard/for MOAA)
It’s been a long time since I became a surviving spouse, and during that time, I’ve gone through many stages. None were easy, but all were necessary. No journey out of grief is straight forward. We all handle it differently, and it’s how we deal with it that makes a difference.

We must choose to be positive and live or be unhappy the rest of our lives. I chose to be positive, but I also realized that I needed to find a purpose.

When my husband died at the age of 57, I didn’t know where to turn or what to do. I became aware that my path forward was to do what I could to make sure no other survivor felt as alone and unprepared as I was. To that end, I joined my local MOAA chapter, took on the job as their surviving spouse liaison, was appointed to the national MOAA’s Surviving Spouse Advisory Council, and became active in the Surviving Spouse Virtual Chapter.

I also found not only a mentor but a dear friend because of a chance meeting in 2015. Patricia “Pat” Farnsworth shared her vast knowledge of surviving spouse issues, her wisdom, and her wonderful sense of humor. She encouraged me to do the best I believed I could be — and then pushed for more. Pat died on Oct. 14 at age 86. She was an inspiration to many and a friend to all.

We will never forget our loved ones. We will always miss them. But I have found peace and comfort in my new normal. I hope you find the same.

Click to read more about Barbara Smith
 

SURVIVING SPOUSE MEMBERSHIP YEARS WITH USAA
There was a recent post on the MOAA Surviving Spouse Facebook page about surviving spouses starting over as USAA members after their member spouse had passed away - which precludes access to some benefits and services offered only after a certain number of years as a member.   I contacted the USAA CEO's office and spoke with Mr. Joe Mutti, who is a member advocate representing the office of the CEO. He researched the issue, got back in touch with me and provided the below information to share. 

This issue has been brought to USAA's attention and they want everyone to know that it is a "known issue" and "can be corrected". 

A surviving spouse's "tenure" with USAA does not start over upon the passing of the military (USAA) member. The advice I received from Mr. Mutti was that a surviving spouse experiencing that issue should call USAA's general phone number (800-531-8722) and follow the prompts to "Life Services" to speak with a representative who will submit a request on your behalf to have your USAA tenure corrected.

Sincerely, Loren Heckelman
Captain, USN (Ret.)
President Hampton Roads Chapter MOAA

The Hampton Roads Chapter of MOAA Surviving Spouses / Spouses held a luncheon on Thursday, September 8, 2022 at the Princess Anne Country Club.  The program was provided by Fairfield Florists and included helpful tips and ideas for making your own flower arrangements.  There were three arrangements created at the luncheon and they were provided as raffle prizes for the ladies in attendance at the end of the luncheon.
 
August 31, 2022
Dear Retiree,

As you may know, Congress made changes to the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) to phase out the offset for surviving spouses who are also receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). 

On January 1, 2023, the SBP-DIC offset will be fully eliminated. That means, beginning in 2023, SBP payments will no longer be offset (reduced) by DIC.

Spouses will receive full SBP (issued by DFAS) and full DIC (from the VA). 

There is no action you need to take as a retiree for the changes to apply to your surviving spouse. However, you should check your RAS to ensure your SBP beneficiary is up to date. This is especially important if you have a former spouse. Find out more: https://www.dfas.mil/SBPforspouse

Also, if your monthly premiums are not automatically deducted from your pay, you should ensure your account does not have unpaid monthly premiums. If you pass away with unpaid monthly premiums, this could cause hardship for your survivors. Learn more: https://www.dfas.mil/payforSBP

For more details on the changes to SBP, see our special SBP-DIC News webpage: https://www.dfas.mil/sbpdicnews

Sincerely,

DFAS Retired & Annuitant Pay

 

Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins, USAF (Ret), President and CEO of MOAA, stands with DanaCandace Wheeler, Senior Advisor for Policy and Legislation for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and military widows Kristy DiDomenico, Edie Smith and Capt. Kathy Thorp, USN (Ret), during a reception to celebrate the repeal of the SBP-DIC offset in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 17. (Photo by Amanda Dolasinski/MOAA) 
Click here for More Answers on the 
SBP-DIC Offset Elimination Process...
UPDATE from DFAS on SBP-DIC changes



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