Irene Laspina Tracy

Irene Rose Laspina was born on March 23, 1925 in San Francisco, CA, the youngest child of Anna Cardile Laspina and Salvadore (Sam) Laspina originally from Piedimonte Etneo, Sicily. She and her older brother John attended San Francisco schools until they moved to Tulare, CA in the early 1930’s. She graduated from Central Elementary School in 1938, Tulare Union High School in 1942, and worked as a secretary and bookkeeper for a number of years.

In 1947, she married Lawrence J. Paggi, and they raised their three children, Patricia, Cheryl and Jimmy. Irene continued her education with Business Law classes at the College of the Sequoias, acted in local theatre performances, and continued to play golf that she had learned to love in high school. She worked as a legal secretary in Tulare for several law offices including that of Russell Henry and later for attorneys Rush, Soares and Stringham. Shortly after Larry’s death in 1961, she began to work for the Southern California Edison Company (SCE) as a secretary. While working there she met Morris Tracy who was temporarily working in Tulare for SCE. They married in 1972 and moved to southern California where Irene went to work at the corporate office, first as legal secretary to the lead council for SCE and later as executive assistant for the CFO.

Irene and Morris retired in 1980 and began their life of adventure. They bought their first of many Airstream trailers and joined the Wally Byam Club and traveled all over the United States and Canada, each year becoming more involved with the organization with Morris as President and Irene as his secretary. They traveled extensively in Europe visiting Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Great Britain, where Morris’s oldest daughter, Elinor lived and raised her family. They continued to travel for the next 30+ years and never tired of it.

In 2003, Irene and Morris moved to Arroyo Grande on a golf course, and continued to enjoy traveling to visit family in Scotland, Hawaii, and up and down California. They also were members of the Rare Fruit Growers and made many good friends in their new ‘beach’ environment. In 2012, they moved to Pacific Grove to live closer to Irene’s children, and were blessed with many visits from their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren during their time there.

She is survived by her brother John J Laspina (Licia) of Tulare, daughters Patricia Paggi Allatt, Burlingame, CA, Cheryl Paggi Jordan (Paul) Pebble Beach, CA, son Jimmy Paggi (Kristy) Benicia, CA, and her step-daughters Elinor McDowall, Bothwell, Scotland, UK, and Barbara Tracy Larsh (Jim) of Palm Desert, and step-sons Stewart Tracy, Venice Beach, CA and Eric Tracy (Robin) Honolulu, HI, grand-children—Tracy McDowall Bayne (Johnnie) and Fergus McDowall of Scotland, Jessica Formosa (David Law), Issaquah WA, Emily Formosa (Brandon Loudermilk) Germany, and Tony Formosa, LA, and great grandchildren Emma Bayne, Calum Bayne, Fraser Bayne, Isla McDowall and Ross McDowall all of Scotland, Jacob and Naomi Law, Lorenzo and Sebastian Loudermilk. She also leaves numerous nieces and nephews in the San Joaquin Valley and in the greater Toronto area. She was pre-deceased by her father and mother, baby brother Peppino Laspina, and husbands Larry Paggi and Morris Tracy. A private memorial service will be held in Monterey, CA.