Tracey Black Kirkpatrick

1962 - 2021

Tracey Black Kirkpatrick passed away suddenly on December 31, 2021. While her family and friends experience this indescribable loss, they are comforted by her legacy of being a devout mother, a fiercely caring friend, and a creative mind who brought beauty to the world around her.

Tracey was born in Houston, Texas on April 2, 1962. She graduated from Westbury High School in 1980 where she was a member of the Band-Aids dance group. She graduated with an associate degree in Art History from the Art Institute of Houston in 1984.

She married her husband of 32 years, Tom, in 1989. They loved to travel together and would often take spontaneous trips to tropical destinations in the Caribbean and Hawaii. Tracey was many things, but she was a mother first. Her children, Carson, Connor, and Lillian were her world. She was very involved in any and all their extracurricular activities - of which there were many, and she dutifully dedicated her time to chairing auctions, organizing events, and hosting parties.

Tracey was known for her artistic and creative talent. She founded an interior design studio and later a jewelry design studio. She was passionate about creating beautiful spaces and gorgeous jewelry pieces that were carried in boutiques across multiple states. She spent summers with her kids in Leakey, Texas, where they created elaborate tie dye designs, poured candles, and canned home-made fruit preserves to give as gifts.

Tracey was also a disciple of classic rock, especially of The Beatles. She raised her children to be the same. One could always find Tracey at a live music event rocking out with her friends and family. It was safe to assume that if Paul McCartney was planning to be anywhere on the continent, Tracey had purchased tickets a year in advance. Tracey was the reigning queen of classic rock trivia, and she could conjure the most obscure fact about any musician, producer, or song, to the amazement of her audience.

Tracey was a wonderfully loving, compassionate, and empathetic person. She always advocated for the marginalized and underserved, and she was a fierce and loyal friend. In recent years, Tracey made her home in the Texas Hill Country in Leakey where she was an active member in the Leakey Lion's Club, a charity organization focusing on bettering the local community. Though she was small in stature, Tracey always could command attention when she needed, especially for the sake of others. She lived by her mantra, appropriately taken from a Beatles' lyric "And in the end / The love you take / Is equal to the love you make."

Tracey is survived by her husband Tom; her three children Carson, Connor, and Lillian; her father Barry Black and stepmother Carolyn Moore; and her brother Troy Black. She is preceded in death by her mother Lois Black and her brother and best friend Scott Black. A celebration of her life will take place on January 14, 2022 at 10:00 AM at Bungalow Heights at 1919 Beall St. Houston, TX 77008 and on January 15, 2022 at 2:00 PM at The Pavilion at Frio Pecan Farm, 114 Red Wright Road, Leakey, Texas 78873. To commemorate Tracey's love of music, guests are encouraged to wear their favorite band shirt just as

she would have wanted. In lieu of flowers, her family requests a check donation in her memory to the Leakey Lion's Club Scholarship Fund at P.O. Box 344 Leakey, Tx 78873 or via phone at (830) 279-6331.