Tracy M. Rozelle Jr.

TRACY M.
ROZELLE JR.
ITHACA - Tracy Rozelle passed away on July 11, 2008 at Hospicare, in Ithaca, at the age of 90. His wife, the late Evelyn Mundt Rozelle, died in 1990. Tracy is survived by his three daughters, Tanis Rozelle, Pamela (Severin) Drix, and Deborah (David) Lewis; two grandchildren, Julian and Nathaniel.
Tracy was born in New York City in 1918 in Hell's Kitchen, the son of Helen Brunt of Irish descent, and Tracy Rozelle Sr. of French descent. Due to his father's entrepreneurial pursuits in the radio business, Tracy Jr. moved frequently throughout his childhood, including to St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha, Boulder, Miami and Toronto. While he showed great promise as an artist at a young age, his father urged him to study engineering. He became a successful engineer in the aerospace industry during WWII. He worked at Curtis Wright Aeroplane Company on their design team. Later he helped to design the cockpit of the first airplane that broke the sound barrier. A replica of this plane now hangs in the lobby of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. He met his wife while working as a draftsman at Trico in Buffalo, NY. Once they married and moved to Rochester, Michigan with his young family, Tracy began his long career working as engineer and information analyst for various large companies including Ling-Temco-Vought, Chrysler, and General Dynamics.
Starting in mid-life, Tracy actively pursued his love of archeology and paleontology, in particular Native American history, art and culture. Always interested in bridging art and science, Tracy took ceramic classes, using Native American iconography and design, while also organizing archeological digs at VanHeusen Farm Museum in Rochester, Michigan. He served as President of the Michigan Paleontological Society for a few years. At Cranbrook Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Tracy served as a docent, and participated on local early American and Native American digs. Tracy assisted the photographer at several Science Olympiad tournaments, a national organization that promotes science public education around the country. A major highlight was Tracy's group dig with paleontologist John (Jack) Horner, who discovered the first egg clutches in the Americas and the first evidence of parental care from dinosaurs. Tracy commemorated this trip by creating a ceramic baby dinosaur egg for Cranbrook's education program. Once in Ithaca, Tracy volunteered at the Sciencenter and Museum of the Earth, the Dewitt Historical Society, the Chamber of Commerce, RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program), and the BOCES Russian Exchange Program. For his many volunteer activities, he was given the Tompkins Trust Volunteer of the Year Award in 2002.
A Memorial Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, July 15, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. at Hospicare, 172 E. King Road, Ithaca. In honor of the Native American traditions Tracy loved so much, his life will be celebrated during his Memorial Celebration with an Elder from the Cree Nation sharing traditional prayers and songs, and with a release of painted lady butterflies. He was interred at Oakwood Cemetery in East Aurora, NY. In memory of Tracy's life, contributions to the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, NY, or to a Native American organization are welcome. (If interested, please e-mail Herson's Funeral Home at hersonfh@aol.com for more information.)