Obituary of Margaret Tracey

Margaret ‘Trudy’Tracey Reserve Mines It is with broken hearts we announce the peaceful passing of the matriarch of our family, Trudy Tracey, 83, on April 11, 2019 at the Glace Bay Hospital with her loving family by her side. Our funny, caring, and spicy mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother has gone to heaven to enjoy a new chapter. Born in Glace Bay on November 16, 1935, Trudy was the daughter of the late Joseph and Marie (Winterbottom) Wilson. Though no job was as important as being a mother, Mom held many throughout her life. We as children, wonder what it would be like to eat sliced bread from a store as we only knew homemade bread as she baked it every second day. Her legacy of her baking will live on as her children and grandchildren have learned many tips in the kitchen, she always told us a messy kitchen is a sign of a good cook. Our mother did not follow a recipe; when we asked for a certain recipe, she would tell us a little bit of this and a little bit of that. She would say the recipes were in her head, so needless to say we would never get a measurement. People told us they could cut their fingers with the creases in our pants. As we have grown older, we realize how rich we were to have a mother that took great pride in caring for her children. She was a life time member of Branch 78 Legion, was an active member of the community and an avid volunteer with the Vince Ryan Tournament, as well as many other fundraisers. Whether playing cards with the “ladies” at the Reserve Mines Seniors Complex, or driving to the Chip Wagon with friends, Mom was always easy to find. In her younger years, you could catch her playing bingo, dancing, scrapbooking and skating as she taught many of her grandchildren how to skate at a very young age. Mom was a sports fan like no other, and always enjoyed watching a great game of hockey with her grandchildren. She also enjoyed watching tennis and curling. She was notorious for saving newspaper and magazine clippings with stories of sports achievements, especially those in Cape Breton. Mom lived and breathed hospitality, a trait she passed on to her greatest accomplishments, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. You couldn’t find a bigger fan of making and drinking a cup of tea, but if she was visiting, you had to make sure your cupboard was stocked with Carnation Milk. Mom truly lived life to the fullest and loved to have a good laugh. Trudy is survived by her children; sons Eddie, Robert, Kenny (Lezlee), Earl (Kim), Eric (Carol Ann), Trevor; daughters, Peggy (Chuck), Debbie (Joe), Jeannie, Linda (Tucker), Colleen (Brad), twenty-two grandchildren, several great-grandchildren; daughter-in-law Dale; sisters Mitzie (Jack), Sheila (Ray), and Camille; sister-in-law Theresa; as well as many nieces and nephews. Trudy was predeceased by her husband, Thomas “Jigger”; daughters Sandy, Sharon in infancy; sons, Greg and David; daughter-in-law Eva; sister, Myrna (Keith); brothers, George (Martha), John, Eddie (Madeline), Joe “Junior” and brother-in-law Joe MacMullin. Cremation has taken place. Visitation will be held Tuesday, April 16, 2019 from 3-8 p.m. at T. J. Tracey Cremation and Burial Specialists, known to Mom as “Our Place” 370 Reserve St., Glace Bay, NS (902-849-4199). A memorial mass will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at Immaculate Conception Parish with Fr. Daniel Boudreau officiating. A reception will follow at “Our Place” T.J. Tracey Cremation and Burial Specialists. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Glace Bay Food Bank or Cape Breton Hospice Palliative Care Society. “A limb has fallen from our family tree, that says grieve not for me, remember the best times, the laughter, the song the good life I lived when I was strong.” Expression of sympathy may be sent to the family by visiting www.tjtracey.com