Last week, our firm lost one of it's founding members when Marni Dye passed suddenly in her home. Marni, our Cheif Compliance Officer, was a beloved co-worker who was instrumental in bringing Worthington Wealth to life. 

Below, some of those who knew Marni best share their rememberances of her:

 

Dan LaMacchia, President & Owner:

Marni and I came into each other’s lives at, seemingly, the perfect moment for both of us.  I was a branch manager at a regional investment firm and I needed a motherly figure to help me handle a sometimes-difficult broker.  She wanted to return to a regional firm and put a cap on a forty-year career in the industry.  I needed a hard-nosed disciplinarian who knew the rules and the ways brokers try to bend them, and she had tethered some of the most self-important big-hitters of the business.  When I asked her to sign her name to check her penmanship, her wry smile told me that she knew we were going to be a good fit.  She had beautiful handwriting.

After she joined us I threw her into the deep end of the pool immediately and, as I’d hoped, she bobbed through the tasks with professionalism and, always, with care for those around her.  Even when she had to show her stiff spine, she was always careful to try to stand in the other’s shoes and help educate and inform before putting her foot down.  She understood the fine difference between badgering and squelching a broker’s drive and determination, even when misplaced.  And she’d seen enough to know how to help and encourage because she understood that her broker’s success also meant hers.  She was a great, stable addition to our staff.

When the time came for me to build Worthington Wealth, I trusted very few and Marni was first.  Although she didn’t understand any more than I did about the mechanics of starting a new advisory firm, her long experience tagged alongside mine gave us a terrific advantage.  We talked through almost every part and she was always encouraging and optimistic.  With her enthusiasm, I promised her that if she’d handle our Compliance and Supervision and, importantly, keep us out of trouble with the regulators, our success would pay off handsomely for us.  She knew the things to watch out for and she knew how to research what we didn’t know.  With a little encouragement, she came to trust the instincts of our experience and accepted every step optimistically.  She even started to repeat one of my favorite phrases:  “Sounds crazy, might work!”.

Our first year as a company challenged us to write anew our entire experiences in the brokerage business to fit the vision I had for our advisory firm.  Marni’s diligence and detail left me never concerned and our weekly meetings were packed with the results of her work.  Compliance and Supervision manuals, operations protocols, Policy and Procedures manuals for each position, and training schedules for each employee...  The list is expansive and all her work through our combined set of years.  

Her eyes lit up when I complimented her.  But our greatest compliment came, I think, when we agreed to get outside counsel to see if we needed help and the answer was “It appears you don’t need us!”.  When we passed our first SEC exam with flying colors, she bought a cake and the office celebrated.

We had just reorganized the company and Marni was to join me on the executive staff.  With no illusions of our company’s small size she was still thrilled.  “Imagine!”, she’d say, “After forty years I’m finally going to be an executive!  Not bad!”.  And we’d chuckle as great friends.

Marni’s world was made complete by her immense pride in her daughter, Caitlin, and her young family, by her keen interest in others' lives, and by her mostly blind and largely deaf dog, Sammy.  Updates on her kids were periodic joys, and that little dog was a daily one.  She always remembered events important to others, and she was always the first to both give credit and to celebrate others’ successes.  She was integral and as close as family.

Marni’s life touched thousands in many ways, but we were the beneficiaries of her combined age, wisdom, knowledge, and compassion.  Those who met her will mostly remember her with a smile, and those of us who knew her well are left emptier by her absence.

Marni reinforced in me the value of endless compassion for others no matter how difficult the situation. I will be forever thankful that she touched my life.

Sherry Tilson, Manager, Client Concierge & Administration:

I don’t exactly remember when I met Marni. However, I remember meeting her very well. She seemed timid and shy, but eager to fit into her new role with our firm. As time passed, she proved to be a vital part of our team and more. Her knowledge and experience was exactly what our team needed, and in time, she became a dear friend. I honestly can barely remember the years before she was with us. She had become a fixture in the office and in our lives. Marni was a beautiful person, inside and out, generous and kind. She is already greatly missed.

Henry Richter, Investment Advisor Representative: 

In remembering Marni Dye I am writing this with great sadness. Marni and I always began my day in her office sharing, debating, laughing, and discussing current events. She was a friend and a devoted asset to Worthington Wealth Management. She often took uncompleted office work home to prepare for our transition to the Investment Advisory Service and also came to work many days when she was not feeling weill to keep up with her tasks so that we could all function efficiently. She had incredibly clear thinking and served diligently as our Compliance Officer. A calming grace surrounded her always. Such a joy and she will be missed. 

Anthony LaMacchia, Portfolio Construction & Analysis: 

Though my time with Marni was limited, she was a complete joy to work with. She took great joy in helping me through the initial parts of my career, and her depth of experience in the industry allowed her to make that process smooth for me. Her influence helped shape the company into what it is today, and her attention to detail helped prepare it well for the future. She was a great person with an incredibly kind soul who I was lucky enough to consider a friend, and I will greatly miss her presence in the office.

Chris LaMacchia, Director, Marketing & Operations: 

Marni and I didn't work together for very long, just over a year. But she immediately greeted me to the firm - and the industry - with open arms. She was excited to get to know me as a person but also to mentor me in the ways of the business. Marni was always there to answer my questions and gently guide me when needed, al lthe while mainting the positivity and optimism that she was renowned for. Quick with a cake on birthdays or a curiousity about the weekend on Mondays, she made the office a bit more liveable every day. I'll miss Marni, not just for her business acumen but for the kindness and friendship that accompanied it.