Tracy Lea Walker

When Tracy Lea Walker walked into a room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Tracy was and how she impacted those around her. Tracy was a witty and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Tracy wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Tracy was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

Tracy was born to parents Maurice and Sally Turner on December 29, 1957 at Tacoma General Hospital in Tacoma, Washington and raised in Long Beach and San Diego. Always ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person, loving to laugh and to make others laugh. While some who knew Tracy might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Tracy was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Tracy was raised with three siblings; Dana,Angie and Julie. Tracy was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Tracy was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Tracy well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Tracy was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Tracy was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Tracy took part in softball,gymnastics and dance. She was a member of the Girl Scouts, Associated Student Body (ASB) and Letterettes. Reading was one of her passions. Tracy's memorable achievements as a child included, but were not limited to, winning the Spelling Bee in sixth grade. Tracy had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

During her high school years, Tracy responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from Montgomery High School in 1976. Tracy was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Tracy absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Tracy, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Tracy a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Her favorite classes in high school were Literature and History and continued to be throughout her life. The teacher she enjoyed learning from the most was Mrs. Benter.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Tracy was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Tracy was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends included Debbie Wert, Val Segal, Sharon Pippen and Ann Egbert. Later in life, some of her closest friends included, but were not limited to Val Segal, Ann Egbert,Caroline Hatchett, Val Walker, Theresa Cordero, Rachel Hart, Cathy Perez Luna and Carol Mundell.

On April 22, 1995 Tracy married Richard Walker at St. James Church in Imperial Beach, CA. Tracy's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Richard's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Tracy was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

Tracy was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Tracy, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Tracy's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Tracy was blessed with three: sons Aaron, Cameron, Richard Daniel and daughter Sarah Woodward. They were also blessed with two grandsons, Moses and Jayden. Tracy loved her family passionately and would do anything for them! She protected fiercely and raised her children to do the same.

Tracy was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was as regional property manager. She was employed by Sunrise Management for over 15 years but worked in property management even prior to that time. Tracy was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Tracy had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Tracy's fellow workers saw her not only as a friend but also as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Tracy loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were reading,dancing and watching her children's sports events. Tracy had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Tracy's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Tracy enjoyed watching her favorite sports events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were football and basketball especially when her sons were playing.

Throughout her life, Tracy was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Tracy seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Tracy usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout her later years, Tracy was an active member of the church, participating in both the church choir and the church-sponsored crisis hotline. She was a loyal dedicated member of the Spartan family at CVHS for 16 years aside from her volunteer work for South San Diego Imperial Beach youth football league, Imperial Beach Little League included working for years on the executive boards. Parents, coaches, and board members continued to seek out her knowledge and assistance even after she was no longer a member. Her judgment and knowledge was highly respected.

Because Tracy was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, she always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Tracy's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made her a great asset. Tracy found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient.

Tracy was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

Though she never did anything solely for individual recognition, Tracy's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned her accolades for her many lifelong efforts. Some of her most prestigious awards included, but are not limited to Property Manager of the year 2010.

Tracy's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manner fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Tracy took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could always with a focus on FUN!. Favorite vacations included Idaho to visit parents,women's church retreat at Murrieta Hot Springs and Santa Paula to visit family.

Tracy was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. A few of her favorite pets included, but was not limited to, Zeus, Shasta, Misha and Molly.

Tracy Walker passed away unexpectedly on December 16, 2011 at UCSD Medical Center, San Diego. She is survived by husband Richard ,sons Aaron, Cameron and Richard Daniel, adopted daughter Sarah, grandchildren Moses and Jayden; sisters Angie, Dana and Julie, parents Maurice and Sally and mother-in law Clara Walker; and many brother and sister in laws, nieces and nephews. Tracy was laid to rest in Miramar Cemetery in San Diego CA.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Tracy. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Tracy Walker for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Tracy was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones. With that said, Tracy's greatest passions remain her Lord Jesus Christ and her family.