Tracy M. Yarborough

If you knew Tracy, you knew there was never a dull moment when she was around. She was beautiful inside and out, full of life, and had a heart big enough to make just about anybody feel like family. She loved fiercely, laughed often, and never needed much of an excuse to turn up the music, dance, or bring everyone together for a good time.

Born on October 18, 1973, Tracy grew up primarily in Cayce, South Carolina, with some of her younger years spent in Gaston and Texas. She made some of her favorite childhood memories at Lake Murray, beginning a lifelong love for being on the water.

For 35 years, Tracy shared her life with her husband, Bodie Yarborough, to whom she was married for 26 years. Together, they built a family and a lifetime of memories. She was a wife, a mama, a sister, an aunt, a daughter, a friend, and one very proud MiMi to her two granddaughters, Riley Jane and Parker Grace. But those titles only begin to describe who she was.

Tracy was a caretaker by nature. If someone needed help, she was there. If someone needed a meal, she was probably already in the kitchen. And if there was a reason to celebrate, you could bet she was going to make something out of it. She had a gift for making people feel loved, whether it was through a home-cooked meal, a listening ear, or simply being there when someone needed her.

She found happiness in the little things: a day spent on the river, her toes in the sand at the beach, searching for shark teeth, working in her garden, or watching the birds outside. She loved traveling with her girlfriends, making memories with her family, and spending time with her beloved dogs, Della and GiGi.

And Lord, did that woman love a good time. Tracy was always saying she was “living my best life,” and if you knew her, you knew she meant it. Whether she was dancing, laughing until she cried, or gathering everybody together, she knew how to enjoy life. She didn’t need a special occasion to make a memory. She made the occasion special just by being there.

Her faith was an important part of who she was, and she lived it through the way she cared for others. She gave so much of herself to the people she loved, often putting their needs before her own. Her kindness wasn’t something she reserved for family or close friends. It was simply who she was.

Tracy leaves behind her husband of 26 years, Bodie Yarborough; her son, David Yarborough, and his wife, Lindsey Yarborough; her daughter, Lexie Yarborough; and her two precious granddaughters, Riley Jane and Parker Grace, who lovingly knew her as MiMi. She is also survived by her sister, Shanna Banks, and her husband, Anthony Banks; her niece, Anaya Eichelberger; her mother-in-law, Peggy Yarborough; and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family members, and dear friends.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Susan Martin; her father, John Martin; her grandfather, Colie Martin; her paternal grandmother, Mary Martin; and her maternal grandmother, Betty Bonds.

A celebration of Tracy’s life will be held on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Caughman-Harman Funeral Home in West Columbia, South Carolina.

It’s hard to put a lifetime of love into a few paragraphs, especially when someone meant so much to so many people. We will miss her beautiful smile, her laugh, her hugs, and all the little things that made her who she was. And whenever a yellow butterfly crosses our path, we’ll smile and think of her. A love like hers never truly leaves us.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Coastal Conservation League (coastalconservationleague.org)

“Honor her for all that her hands have done and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” – Proverbs 31:31