A casual gathering celebrating the life of Tracy Hamilton McAuliffe will be held on Saturday, March 4th, 2023, at Higgins Methodist Church Family Life Center in Burnsville, NC from 1-3 pm.
Tracy, 62, passed away on December 21, 2022, at her home after being diagnosed with cancer in mid-October. She was the daughter of the late Richard McAuliffe and Judith Jeane (LaVeigne) McAuliffe. She was preceded in death by her father, Richard McAuliffe; sister, Mary Margaret (McAuliffe) Dellinger; and a brother, Richard Patrick McAuliffe.
Tracy attended East Yancey High School in Burnsville and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from LaGrange College in Georgia. She was a partner in Discount Shoes in Burnsville for a number of years then worked for NRC, a flood mapping company in Burnsville. Tracy was employed for the past 15 years by Yancey Graphics as a professional graphic artist.
She also worked as a filmmaker, and during that time engaged Heron Productions to produce a full-length video, “What Lies Within,” which she conceived, directed and edited. The project was inspired by her sister Mary’s 2003 cancer diagnosis. The film captured the intimate conversations of seven Yancey County women impacted by cancer: Mary (McAuliffe) Dellinger, Sandra Geouge, Donna Fender, Karen Fitzgerald, Liz Golibart, Christine Howell, and Betty Ann Young. After many hours of interviews with these courageous women, Tracy concluded, “With love, wisdom and laughter, they remind us that cancer isn’t the worst thing, and that family, friendships and faith will sustain us. Cancer aside, it’s really all about life, and how to live it well.” Tracy enjoyed the love of family and friends and overcame the bounds of this life with grace.
Tracy supported a number of community organizations, including volunteering with Hospice of Yancey County. More recently, she was active in supporting organizations that provided food and other resources to those in need, including Yancey Feed-a-Child, Windom UMC Women’s Arts & Crafts Bazaar to support local charities, and Dig In Community Garden.
Left to cherish her memory are her mother, Judith Jeane McAuliffe of Burnsville; sister, Kathleen McAuliffe Hogan of Chester, MD; brothers: Michael Thomas McAuliffe (Pam) of Summerville, SC; James Kevin McAuliffe (Mary) of Spring Hill, FL; and Matthew Jeremiah McAuliffe (April) of Palm Harbor, FL. Her beloved dog, Emmy, continues to care for the family in Tracy’s absence.
Her family extends deep appreciation to Compassionate Care of WNC for their support of Tracy and her family during her final days. The family asks that anyone wishing to honor her make a contribution to Compassionate Care of WNC, 856 Georges Fork Road, Burnsville NC 28714.