Tracy Jean Barksdale Rheudasil, 59, passed away peacefully on February 24th, surrounded by loved ones, after a long battle with ovarian cancer and then secondary leukemia. Through countless sessions of chemotherapy, surgical procedures and 2 stem cell transplants, she showed incredible grace, bravery and resilience, grounded in her love for her family and in the faith that God has a plan.
Tracy was born on June 13, 1960 and raised in Talladega, Alabama, the oldest child of John F. And Dorothy Cooley Barksdale. She attended the University of Alabama, where she graduated from the Capstone School of Nursing in 1982. She worked as a cardiovascular ICU nurse in Texas and in Atlanta , where she met her husband, Mark, while he was finishing his residency training at Emory. They married in August, 1992.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. J. Mark Rheudasil and daughter Maggie (16), along with her mother Dorothy Barksdale of Talladega, AL, and brothers John T. Barksdale (Melanie) of Madison, AL, and Brian F. Barksdale (Janie) of Birmingham, AL, and six nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father John Barksdale of Roswell, GA.
Her beautiful smile and indomitable spirit will be long remembered by all who knew and loved her. A visitation will be held on Friday, February 28th from 5-8 pm at H. M. Patterson and Son-Oglethorpe Hill Funeral Home, Atlanta. A memorial service will be held at the Dunwoody Baptist Church Chapel, Dunwoody, GA on Saturday, February 29th at 1:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that you consider a donation in Tracy’s name to the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance, the Northside Hospital Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, or the Wesleyan School, in Peachtree Corners, GA.
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