Remembering Tracey
Tracey Jean White
July 22, 1970 – October 13, 2024
Photographs. Stories. Memories.
Shattered Illusions tells the story of some of the most difficult years of my mother’s life.
This space is for everything else.
My mother was more than the years that eventually became this memoir. She was a daughter, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, and a person with a lifetime of memories that existed long before the events I wrote about.
This collection is a place to preserve some of those memories-to remember who she was, the things she loved, and the life she lived.
A Life in Photographs
There are photographs here from different parts of my mother’s life-not arranged around how her story ended, but around the life she lived.
Memories From the People Who Knew Her
These memories come from the people who knew my mother. Some are mine. Others may come from family, friends, and people whose lives crossed hers along the way.
This collection will continue to grow as more stories are shared.
Music While She Cleaned
Any time my mom cleaned the house, she had music blasting. Avenged Sevenfold, Sevendust, Godsmack-just something she could move or sing to while she worked.
That carried over into my own life. I do the same thing now. Whenever I have boring, mundane things to get done around the house, I put music on and let it help me power through.
It’s one of those little things I picked up from her without ever really thinking about it.
– Devin, her son
Saint Anthony
Whenever anyone lost something, my mom’s response was immediate: pray to Saint Anthony.
“Dear Saint Anthony, please come around: something is lost, and it cannot be found.”
It didn’t matter what had gone missing. If somebody couldn’t find something, Saint Anthony was getting called in to help.
It was just one of those things she always did.
– Devin, her son
The Voicemail
One day my friend Brandon called the house trying to get ahold of me. He got the voicemail instead.
When we listened to his message later, we heard:
“Hey Brandon, this is Devin. Wait-hey Brandon, this is Devin. Uh…. hey Devin, this is Brandon…”
My mom and I completely lost it.
There wasn’t anything extraordinary about that day or the phone call. It was just one of those silly little moments that made us laugh so hard that neither of us ever forgot it.
– Devin, her sonChubby
Hi, my name is Chubby. My Momma’s Chubby, My Dadda’s Chubby and so I am. One day my Momma said to me, Chubby, why don’t you smile – And so I did… This might sound goofy, and honestly, it was. To explain…
Tracey would put her fists to each side of her cheeks to puff them up, and then smile, and it was the most ridiculous face ever! As sisters, every time we got together, Tracey Kelly & I would have to do Chubby!
– ColeenFamily Shopping Trip
On a family trip to the UP we all went shopping. My sister Tracey, my husband and my two daughters all traveled together to Marquette. As we were shopping, my sister Tracey started yelling “Mommy”, “Momma”, “Mom” and had my kids joining in as they followed me around Shopko. It was hilarious and embarrassing all at the same time. This happened on and off all weekend as we spent time together. (We love and miss her so very much.) ❤️
– KellyShare a Memory
If you knew my mom and have a story, photograph, or a memory you would like to share, I’d be grateful to hear it.
This collection is meant to preserve more than my own memories of her. The people who knew Tracey knew different parts of her life, and those memories belong here too.
Submissions will be reviewed before anything is added to the site.