Edgar H. Tracy

Port Townsend, Wash. - Edgar H. Tracy, 97, of Port Townsend, Wash., and formerly of Waterford, died peacefully Sept. 8, 2012, after a brief illness.

He was born May 28, 1915, to William Dwight Tracy and Harriet (Brooks) Tracy in Groton.

After graduation from Chapman Technical Institute in 1932, Edgar worked at various employments. He used to say that it was easier for him to mention the facilities where he didn't work rather than the ones he did, since he worked in so many! Some of his major and favorite employers were Connecticut Light and Power 1936-1943, construction association with his older brother, Dwight, locally known as "The Tracy Brothers," building 12 houses in Connecticut 1948-1951, the U.S. Navy Seabees at Port Hueneme, Calif., which included work in the Aleutian Islands and building the naval runway at Olongapo in the Philippines 1951-1953; and finally ending up at the U.S. Naval Submarine Base as a draftsman in 1959, from which he retired in 1977. Between the Sea Bees and U.S. Naval Submarine Base, he began attending Mitchell College in 1953 and graduated with an associate's degree in 1955.

Edgar was married on June 17, 1939, to Louise Beverly Newbury of Groton, who he met while clamming on Jupiter Point, and they subsequently raised three children in Waterford. He and Louise celebrated 68 years of happy marriage before his wife passed in June 2007. Their son, Thomas G. N. Tracy, passed in January 2007.

From Edgar's retirement in 1977, he and Louise spent close to 30 years enjoying the winters in Marathon, Fla. Edgar traveled to Florida on the same route so he could visit his favorite waitresses along the way.

With his three children in several locations over the years for various employment, he and Louise traveled to many other states and countries to visit them. They traveled extensively throughout the United States along with additional travel to Germany, Singapore, France, Hawaii, and Hong Kong. They had a wonderful retirement time, enjoying everyone and every location they visited.

Edgar and Louise made their home in Waterford on West Strand Road built in 1949, along with free help from those artisans on Brooksville Lane. They thoroughly enjoyed working on the yard, doing the gardening, and finding a place to store Edgar's furniture compositions. Two years after Louise's passing, Edgar moved to Seaport Landing Community in Port Townsend, Wash., to be near his daughter.

Edgar is survived by a son, William D. Tracy II of Centerville, Ga; daughter, Ann (Tracy) Sweat of Port Townsend; granddaughter, Katherine Ann Tracy of Austin, Texas and step-granddaughter, Amelia L. Marsh of Boston.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22, at Fulton-Theroux Funeral Service, 181 Ocean Ave, New London, CT 06320.

To sign the online guest book, visit www.fultontherouxnewlondon.com