Behind Every Locked Door : A Fiduciary’s Story

Linda McCrory at the Centennial Mural in San Carlos*

When Linda McCrory first stepped into the world of fiduciary work, she didn’t even know what a fiduciary was. At the time, she was working as a life coach and had been invited to help market a fiduciary business. She thought she would simply help promote the services, maybe sit in on a few meetings, and move on.

But somewhere in between, she fell in love with the elderly, their families, and realized this is something she can do until she retires.

A Survivor of World War II from Germany

Linda’s first client was an elderly lady originally from Germany. She had survived World War II before eventually building a life in the United States. She was fiercely independent, deeply private, and angry about losing control over her health and living situation. After a fall and declining medical condition, she was moved into assisted living, a transition she resisted.

When Linda arrived for wellness visits, the woman refused to open the door. “Go away,” she would yell. At one point, frustrated about having to take medication, the lady even threw prescription bottles across the room at Linda’s head. That would have been enough for anyone to give up, but Linda didn’t, she kept showing up.

Then one day, after yet another tense visit, Linda firmly told her, “You’re going to open this door, put tea on the stove, and we’re going to sit down like a couple of grown ups.” Surprisingly, the lady did. That moment changed their relationship.

Over time, the lady who once refused help began calling Linda to visit. The anger subsided and she started to trust her. Beneath the sharp and cranky personality was someone afraid, lonely, and struggling with the reality of losing independence.

The lady eventually passed away last year at 88 years of age, exactly on Linda’s birthday. “She was my first client, and was also the hardest to date. I’m grateful for the time she gave me, because it made everything else after that seem easy.“

Linda shares her realization after years of working as a fiduciary: “There’s a loneliness to somebody coming to the end of their life… I’ve been with many clients on their deathbed, those who didn’t have anybody to be there with them. I was blessed to have that position, as hard as it was.”

What Does a Professional Fiduciary Actually Do?

“I really do love my work. As hard as it can be, it doesn’t feel like work to me,” Linda said.

A professional fiduciary is appointed to act in another person’s best interest, usually when age, illness, disability, family conflict, or financial complexity make it hard for someone to manage on their own. The California Professional Fiduciaries Bureau describes the work as ‘supporting seniors, people with disabilities, and children, with help that can range from daily care and housing to bill paying, estate management, and investments’.

Linda says her work can be grouped into three categories: (1) Trustee Services, (2) Power of Attorney, and (3) Health Care. Those roles do different things: “A trustee manages finances, investments, bank accounts, and assets held in a trust,” Linda explains. “A power of attorney role usually covers daily life and finances outside the trust. The advanced healthcare directive role deals with medical decisions, especially when the client has no family or close friend available to serve.”

When Should Families Consider Hiring One? 

Plenty of families never need a fiduciary. The ones who do, usually figure that out in a worse moment than they’d like. 

“I usually get called in by an attorney,” she said. “If they feel their client is having issues and there’s no family, or if there’s somebody in the family that’s suspicious and not managing things well, then I’ll get called in to meet the client and family (if there is any), and the attorney. Aside from attorneys, Linda also gets called by care managers, families, or their neighbors.

Many seniors in San Carlos and the rest of San Mateo County have significant assets tied up in homes, trusts, and long-held family property. A fiduciary can bring some neutrality and structure to decisions that would otherwise be made under pressure.

It’s worth talking to a fiduciary when:

Why This Matters For Local Families

Aging tends to arrive in pieces. You realize it when you forget to check the mail, or pay the bills. Confusion during a doctor’s appointment, or when you finally admit the house has gotten to be too much. In most cases, nobody wants to talk about these things until they have to.

A fiduciary can put some structure back to an aging person’s life. In the case of Linda, she describes her approach as holistic: with attention to financial management, healthcare decisions, provider coordination, personal preferences, and ongoing client needs. That kind of support can matter most when a senior has no immediate family, when the family lives far away, or when nobody can agree on what should happen next.

A fiduciary often fits into a larger team. In the case of Marble Fiduciary, they constantly coordinate with attorneys, CPAs, financial advisors, and medical professionals. In addition to these, a fiduciary also provides oversight of real property, vendors, and household matters.

A Calling Built On Dignity

Trust, integrity, reliability, transparency, professionalism: they’re fine words, but they don’t really tell you anything until you see what they look like in real life.

A fiduciary’s work may begin with legal documents, financial oversight, and careful decision-making. But at its heart, a deeply human work. It asks for patience, consistency, and the ability to look beyond difficult behavior. A commitment to protect someone’s dignity when they are most vulnerable.

Linda’s first client came to see her as someone she could trust; and in return, she taught Linda an important lesson: that behind every locked door, there may be someone quietly hoping you’ll knock again.

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Note:
* Photo represents actual person/s, AI generated with their permission.