Kay Tracy
July 23, 1941 - March 16, 2019
On Saturday, March 16, 2019, Kay Blythe Tracy passed away quietly at the age of 77 in the embrace of her husband and three sons after a courageous, 24-year battle with recurrent, ovarian cancer and liver disease. She was one of a kind!!
Born in New Orleans LA, to Lloyd and Katherine (Blythe) Runnels, Kay's early discovery of a passion for reading and learning drove her to overcome daunting childhood challenges and to excel through her primary schooling as a student, athlete, dancer, community lifeguard and local "Whiz Kid", ultimately winning a full scholarship to her choice of universities, Louisiana University-Lafayette, graduating with honors and launching a promising career as a scholar and medical technologist in San Diego CA.
On February 25, 1967, she married her soulmate and Vietnam veteran, George, and together they raised three exceptional sons, in the midst of venturesome relocations from California to Colorado, Texas, Connecticut, Iran, France, Missouri, Virginia, and Florida. Enroute Kay earned her MBA from Drury College in Springfield MO in 1983 and her PhD degree from the University of Maryland, Smith School of Business, in 1989.
She distinguished herself with membership in the prestigious Beta Gamma Sigma international business honor society, and subsequently thrived as a successful university professor of business in academia, teaching at, among others, the University of Maryland, Gettysburg College, George Mason University and the U.S. Marine Corps Base, Quantico VA.
In recent years, settled in Lakewood Ranch FL, Kay continued to serve as a University of Maryland faculty evaluator, qualifying students to earn degree credit for their work experience and, until her death, she teamed with her husband as a 12th Circuit Court Guardian ad Litem, advocating for abused, neglected and abandoned children and as a military veteran legislative advocate on the scholarship and charity committees of the Military Officers Association of Sarasota. Through it all, as a wife, mother, host, chef, volunteer, collaborator, companion, teacher, organizer, advisor, team builder and leader, Kay was a positive, motivating, encouraging voice saying read everything, try everything, be kind to everyone; enjoy the journey; believe nothing is impossible!!
Kay made each encounter with those she touched, professionally and personally, an adventure in discovering the best that life has to offer, in sharing oneself, in overcoming challenge and in caring about others. She was a heroic, kind, welcoming, gracious and loving soul, who enriched our lives and whose memory will inspire and sustain us!
Kay was preceded in death by her Vietnam Veteran brother, 2LT Lloyd Jr USMC, her mother, Katherine, and her father, Lloyd Sr. She is survived by her husband: George, her three sons: George (Indy), Lloyd (Julia) and Chisholm (Cassie), her grandchildren: Lloyd, Emerson, Sloane and Corrigan and her many Blythe cousins.
Celebrations of Life are being arranged in Lakewood Ranch FL (Contact: Lynn Trusal, phdlynn@gmail.com) and in Baton Rouge LA (Contact: Davy Blythe, drdave240@gmail.com). Non-denominational services and interment are planned for 23 July 2019 (10:30AM service; 11:30AM reception) at the U.S. Naval Academy Columbarium, Annapolis MD. (Contact: George Tracy Jr, george.p.tracy@gmail.com). The family welcomes your donations in Kay's memory, in lieu of flowers, to the Children's Guardian Fund,
https://www.childrensguardianfund.org/get-involved/give-now/or the MOAA Scholarship Fund,
http://www.moaa.org/Content/About-MOAA/Scholarship-Fund/Scholarship-Fund.aspxfor the children of military veterans.
Published in Herald Tribune from Apr. 12 to Apr. 14, 2019
Published in Herald Tribune from Apr. 12 to Apr. 14, 2019
