Help the Dingus Family
Donation protected
This is really hard.
Our dad, Phil Dingus, loved deeply and loved a lot. He was a Renaissance man, and he lived a full-on life.
When he died, none of us expected it. It was a November afternoon, and some of us had just heard from him. He was just getting ahead, working for a wonderful non-profit in North Carolina.
When he died, he was paying the small mortgage on the house he owned in Bristol, Jonny's primary residence.
When he died, he did not know he was going to be a grandfather in Spring. Jonny is having a baby!
When he died, we remained to figure it all out.
What we're learning is -- in order to ensure we don't lose the house or the hope our dad had that we could sell the house for ourselves -- we need to buy some time. We cannot find and do not know of a will, and we are unsure about any funds that could come our way (except a $250 one-time death payment from Social Security). To avoid the house going to collections, we need to back-pay three months of the mortgage ($2,100), and we need to do this at a time when our niece or nephew is on the way.
The three of us kids -- me, Jonny, and Charlie -- know this is an unfathomable number. We know it is a dream. But after talking often and researching every lead available to us, we realize that, if there was ever a time to dream -- to ask for help -- this is it.
Really, we only need about $12,000.
The costs we're anticipating break down like this:
- $4,158 for 6 months of mortgage payments on our dad's house, which is in rough shape. This amount includes the mortgage and property taxes but we don't yet know what else this may cover. We are considering selling but aren’t sure if that means we’re breaking even, or how we’d even handle the huge project that would become. Buying time will help.
- $5,600 for 4 months of rent plus utilities so we can make sure Jonny’s baby (our new baby!) has a comfy home and that mom & dad have time to get used to their new routine and get on their feet
- $1,200 for travel expenses (Edy will be traveling from Mississippi to Virginia/Tennessee as often as she is able to help with our dad's estate and the baby, and Jonny will be traveling to handle day-to-day challenges we encounter)
- $1,000 for our dad's memorial service, which we plan to host at Emory & Henry, his alma mater, in Spring 2025
We will meet as a family to discuss whether any remaining funds we raise will go toward the baby (rent, necessities) or the outstanding mortgage on our dad's house in Bristol or will be returned to the donor with our deep gratitude or, if the donor would rather, donated to our dad's workplace, Hospitality House
We are currently awaiting the distribution of death certificates so we can talk to the bank and receive more guidance on other end-of-life financial necessities. We are also looking for an estate attorney (ideally, who knows Tennessee law) whose brain we can pick.
If there is any unforeseen financial windfall coming our way that makes it possible to return your donations to you or donate them to Hospitality House in your name, we will absolutely do that. We only come here because it is all we know to do to make sure we’re able to take a collective breath and consider our next steps as a family.
The money we raise on GoFundMe will come to me, Edy Dingus, to manage the costs outlined above. I live in Oxford, Mississippi, and will make regular trips to our dad's house and brother's home in Bristol, Virginia.
If you have any questions, please direct them to me, Edy, his eldest.
We are so grateful for any kindness.
In the words of Peter Bailey from our father's favorite movie, It's A Wonderful Life:
"All you can take with you is that which you've given away."
Our father gave so much of himself. We thank you all for being part of his beloved community.
With all our love,
Edy, Jonny, & Charlie Dingus
Organiser
Edy Dingus
Organiser
Oxford, MS