Why did I expand from organizing to Executor Matters?
When my father passed, I asked “where is the list of what we need to do next?” The short answer is, there wasn’t one. The funeral director, financial advisor, and minister involved all knew what they needed us to do, but they were very vague on everything else, and couldn’t even recommend anyone to help with the other areas.
We also got to play the “where is the will” game, find out that there was a missing signature from the authorization for me to get into the bank’s lock box, learn that the bank account was frozen despite my mother’s right of survivorship, and then go through the process of moving my mother into assisted living. All this was while I maxed out my unpaid leave and missed my husband and sons because I lived out-of-town. I realized then that there should be a professional coordinator to help with this.
Later, after the death of my mother, as well as a friend and former organizing client, another friend’s husband passed away unexpectedly. From my own experiences, I knew enough to help his widow a little, and I was able to understand some of the paperwork for her while she was still in a fog of grief. I was glad I could be of assistance.
I also started to realize that most of my organizing clients have inherited “stuff” that they are managing, and I am already sitting with them to sift through their memories. I helped get one client’s deceased husband off of a mailing list so she wouldn’t have to keep telling the vendor that he had died.
I came to realize that my administrative, project management, and organization skill sets in addition to my comfort around grief made me a good candidate to become that professional whom I wished I had several years before. Around this time, I learned of an emerging group of people doing that kind of work professionally…Professionals of After Loss Services. I felt called to join their ranks and become fully trained subject matter expert in 2025.
During the sandwich era, adult children are particularly overwhelmed with all that needs to be done as an executor; even just gathering the information an estate attorney needs is challenging when they already have a full plate. Solo agers shouldn’t have to manage the thankless business side of death alone. I want to support them.
This work is deeply satisfying to me, and I look forward to making a difficult time a little easier for my clients.
About Tracy
Tracy Roussey is a professional organizer and operations leader with experience spanning residential organizing, retail management, and nonprofit arts administration. She is the owner of Treasure Editor, LLC, where she helps clients create clear, efficient, and meaningful spaces through thoughtful sorting, storage, and customized solutions.
Tracy spent two decades with The Container Store in leadership and design roles, including Store Manager and Custom Space Designer, specializing in team development, visual strategy, custom closet design, and customer-focused problem solving. Earlier in her career, she held senior leadership positions in nonprofit arts and association management, including the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Executive Director of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras, and worked with organizations such as The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
She holds a B.A. in Music (flute) from Agnes Scott College and brings a creative, detail-oriented approach to her work. Tracy is a member of NAPO and PALS, with advanced training in residential organizing, life transitions, and after-loss administrative support.