Anne Elizabeth Tracy

Anne Tracy passed away peacefully November 19, 2019 in her 86th year. She had lived her life as a servant as a registered nurse and a wife, mother, and grandmother. In spite of living in Texas since 1972 and one other two year stint in the 1960’s she considered herself a Pennsylvanian and was quick to identify her heritage when first meeting folks. She was the daughter of William and Clara Canavan of Girardville, Pennsylvania. Her Irish Catholic heritage stems from the Irish ghettos and hard rock coal mines of the Appalachian Mountains that strike across the state north of its capital. She was privileged to have experienced that part of Americana.

FUNERAL: Mass services at 11 AM Monday, December 2, 2019 at Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 2100 North Davis Drive, Arlington, TX 76012 (A light lunch will be served immediately following Mass). Visitation: 6 to 9 PM, Sunday, December 1, 2019, Moore Funeral Home, 1219 North Davis Dr., Arlington, TX 76012. She will be laid to rest at a later date in a private ceremony at the DFW National Cemetery.

MEMORIALS: The family asks that in lieu of flowers please make a donation in Anne Tracy’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association. (act.alz.org/Donate)

Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease. It takes away a person little by little, with family and friends feeling the awful effects as well. In our case Alzheimer’s showed a slight merciful side allowing Anne to function almost normally and to retain social skills and her sense of humor. Her near term memory was lost early on. She retained the ability to carry on conversations, and you could count on a segue to her childhood in the row houses in Pennsylvania.

Anne practiced pediatric nursing in Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington D.C. after becoming a registered nurse in 1953. Later, after moving to Arlington, she spent several years as a school nurse at St Maria Goretti and Nolan parochial schools in Arlington and Ft. Worth, respectively. The associations with the young lasted through the years. She could see the future through the students’ eyes, just as she could later with her granddaughter, Bridget. She was much loved by these students, friends, and family members.

SURVIVORS: Anne is survived by her husband of 59 years, Chuck; son Chris and wife Holly Elliott; son Paul; son Brian and wife Susie Shankwitz; and granddaughter Bridget. She is also survived by one brother, Joe Canavan of Lakewood, N. J., and close cousin, Anne Slaton of Cape Coral, FL.