SEAL HARBOR – Dorothy Simpson Tracy, 75, passed away July 23, 2009, with her family by her side after a long and valiant battle with cancer. She was born April 22, 1934, in Winthrop, daughter of Kenneth and Geraldine Simpson. She attended Winthrop schools, graduating as salutatorian of the Class of 1952, and went on to Westbrook Junior College, Portland. After college she came to Mount Desert Island to accept employment at Bar Harbor Hospital as a laboratory technician. It was while working at the hospital that she met her future husband, Ralph “Jack” Tracy, who was also employed there. They moved to Seal Harbor, purchased a home and started raising a family. Dorothy was an avid reader and had the ability to retain what she had read, from fiction to world affairs. She was a member of Seal Harbor Literary Club for several years. Dorothy held several jobs in her lifetime but will best be remembered as a U.S. Postal employee for Seal Harbor for 24 years. At her retirement, it was noted that she never had a customer that she had a hard time with or disliked. She was described by her customers as a warm kindhearted person always ready to help someone such as dashing out to the street to hand-deliver mail to elderly customers. Surviving in addition to her husband of 54 years, are one sister, Beverly Leikkanen and her husband, “Pat,” of Charlottesville, Va.; four children, Kenneth Tracy, Stephen Tracy, Beth Frost and husband, Gerald, and Marcia Bender and her husband, Michael, all of Seal Harbor; six very special grandchildren, Marie Ericsson, Laura Tracy, Corey and Megan Frost, Ryan and Allyson Bender; two sisters-in-law, Alice Wilson and husband, Charles, and Kay Moore and husband, Robert; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Other than family, she will be fondly remembered as “Aunt Dot” by Lori, Lisa and Stacie Gray, John, Cathy, Chip and Alice Reeves, plus many others. She was predeceased by her parents; an infant brother, Kenneth Jr.; and one sister-in-law, Leta Shea and husband, Charles. Graveside services will be held 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, at Seal Harbor Cemetery, with a reception after at Seal Harbor Community Center. At Dorothy’s request, donations in her memory may be made to Seal Harbor Library, P.O. Box 135, Seal Harbor, ME 04675, Seal Harbor Village Improvement Association, P.O. Box 171, Seal Harbor, ME 04675 or Mount Desert Nursing Association, P.O. Box 397, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662. Condolences may be expressed at www.jordanfernald.com.
DOROTHY SIMPSON TRACY
