Joseph Tracy

Joseph Walter Tracy, 96, died March 30, 2021 at a local hospital with his daughters by his side. He was born to Lottie May Sleeper and Walter Frank Tracy Jr. in Seattle, WA, but moved to Idaho while still quite young. Joe was the oldest son and second of five siblings. Raised and educated in the Homedale area, some of the time on a homestead, he attended Homedale High School where he met many lifelong friends. After graduating from high school in 1942, he went on to briefly attend the College of Idaho, then transferred to Northwest Nazarene College after attending the annual fall revival services there. He was drafted out of NNC to serve in the US Army in Europe in 1943. As a PFC radio tender and part of the Second Armored Division, he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Later he was in the first group of any size to enter Berlin on July 4, 1945. After his honorable discharge, he used the GI bill to earn a BS, MS, and Ph.D. from the University of Washington. Before transferring to Seattle, he met his future wife, Mary Louise Sumner in NNC’s R.T. Williams Library when he noticed she was wearing a sweater that matched one he owned. (She was there as the school nurse while working on her BSN) They married in her hometown, Miami, Florida, in January of 1950, before they went to Seattle for Joe’s education. Five children were born to them there. Joe worked the years between his Masters and his Doctorate at Boeing Aircraft Company as a junior engineer. Joe and Mary Louise attended Seattle First Church of the Nazarene where they met many lifelong friends. Joe was actively recruited by Dr. John Riley to come back to NNC to help set up the Chemistry Department and lab in 1960, the 4th PH.D at the college at that time. His last child was born while he was at NNC. He taught at the college for 10 years, then was a chemist at the State of Idaho meat inspection lab for 10 years. Later, he enjoyed being outside and working with his friend, Waldo Parsons in Construction. Into his senior years, Dad decided to go back to the lab one last time, this time up at Yellow Pine working for Hecla Mining. Everywhere he worked as a chemist, he enjoyed the challenge of setting up and re-arranging the laboratory facility he worked in. Some of his moonlighting jobs happened because of this special skill. Joe loved photography and was an early adopter of color film. He very much enjoyed hiking, particularly in the Owyhees, and would take his children and their friends out on many Sunday afternoons between church services and sometimes it did work to wear them out! Later Joe was that little old man always seen walking with headphones on. He listened to classical music and took his family to as many concerts as he could at that time. He also loved many classic hymns. He helped teach English as a second language to Laotian refugees, and along with Mary Louise helped several of these families weather the huge culture shock. As busy as he was as a young father, he made time to read aloud to his children at bedtime: All of the C.S. Lewis “Narnia” books, the Hobbit, Beautiful Joe, Black Beauty, Little Women, and more. There was no television in the house while we were growing up so that we children would read more. Reading and the study of scripture were paramount in his life. He always lived a life of Christian stewardship. In later years he embraced a call to prayer and fasting, and enjoyed fellowship with his Gideon Camp brothers. We will miss his dry sense of humor, his desire to search for the next arch or natural bridge, his delight at finding that “good buy”; his prayers for family and friends. He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years; infant son, Stephen, at birth; daughter, Laurel Tracy Falk in 2004; daughter, Garland Bradburn in 2019; sister: Judith Turner Agenbroad and Marjorie Steinmetz. His brother David died in July of this year. He is survived by his daughters: Daphne Tracy of Nampa; Heather Wright (Dave) of Caldwell; son, Walt (Pam) of Bethany, OK; sons-in-law: Steve Falk (Agnes) of Lodi, WI and Tim Bradburn of Spokane, WA; one brother, Fr. Paul Tracy of Notre Dame, IN; 5 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Memorials may be given in Joe’s name to Gideon’s International. Graveside services with military honors will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, September 11, 2021 at the Marsing Homedale Cemetery. Services are under the care of Accent Funeral Home and Cremation, Meridian.