OLD TOWN – Cheryl Freeman Tracewski, 58, died in her home surrounded by family April 26, 2013, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. She was active until the last few weeks of her life, living, as she had for 58 years, with a spark that kept her walking with friends and dog, Lucy, and sharing laughter with family until her very last days. Cheryl was born Nov. 3, 1954, in Camden, N.J., the daughter of Woody and Irene Freeman.
Cheryl would describe herself as feisty and throughout her life strived to live up to each challenge as it came. She attended Cherry Hill West High School, Cherry Hill, N.J., where she was a proud member of the women’s softball and basketball teams. In 1977 she graduated from the University of Delaware and shortly thereafter married her husband, Kevin Tracewski. They explored their way around the country, sharing in countless adventures from backpacking in Wyoming to sea kayaking in Alaska. Cheryl loved the outdoors and during those days never went far without a bike nearby. She explored roads from Vancouver, Wash., to Rochester, N.H., before they finally settled in Old Town, with their now family of five. Upgrading her road bike from one seat to a homemade three-seated rig, Cheryl was a devoted mother to her three children. Throughout the years, she was dedicated to being their biggest fan. In more than 30 years of events, Cheryl never missed one. Old Town got a lucky break when this Mom entered town, as she provided years of support and guidance to sports, recreation and academic programs from grade school on. She was a constant for the kids. Whether it was on the sidelines, or in her sleep, strategizing soccer defenses, working math equations or rehearsing lines for the next speech or play, Cheryl was always there. She got no bigger thrill than watching her kids succeed. After the kids went off to college, Cheryl enrolled in nursing school and graduated in 2009. For the next few years, she could be found at Boyd Dialysis Center bringing the joy of friendly competition to her patients by encouraging them to do the best they could with their treatments. Cheryl’s patients and all who knew her would describe her as a loyal friend, a tough competitor and ultimately someone you would always choose to have on your team. She has left her mark on all of us.
Cheryl has left behind a lifetime of memories to be cherished and shared by her husband of 34 years, Kevin Tracewski; children; Tyler Tracewski, Kendall Tracewski and Kristen and husband, William Bingaman; parents, Woody and Irene Freeman; three brothers; Scott and wife, Theresa Freeman, Kurt and wife, Terry Freeman, and Keith Freeman and wife, Laura Antonelli; nephews, Christopher, Kyle and Bruno Freeman; nieces, Kelsey Freeman and Becki and husband, Mitchell Kidder, and their son, Jackson.
A memorial service to celebrate Cheryl’s life will be held 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, at Buchanan Alumni Center at the University of Maine, with a reception to be immediately afterward. In lieu of flowers, please send gifts in memory of Cheryl to Lustgarten Foundation, 1111 Stewart Ave., Bethpage, NY 11714. Notes of condolence may be left at www.birminghamfuneralhome.com.
Cheryl Freeman Tracewski
