Leigh Tracy Walters

Beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend Leigh Tracy Walters passed away peacefully on January 22, 2026, in Tucker, GA, at the age of 67.

Tracy was born on March 28, 1958, in Isola, MS, to Wilma (Smithhart) and Dudley Milton. As the middle child of five girls in a family of modest means, she was both a model of resilience and a steadfast champion of others from an early age. The Vancleave High School Class of 1976 remembers Tracy, their valedictorian, almost 50 years later as a "delight to be around," a "bubbly and happy person," "a wonderful human being," and "a very special friend". Tracy earned her Bachelor of Science from Mississippi State University and subsequently took her talents to Houston, where she worked as a biomedical engineer in the Cullen Cardiovascular Research Library at the Texas Heart Institute in the early 1980s. After getting married and relocating to the Atlanta area, she received her MBA in finance from Georgia State University.

Although Tracy enjoyed a successful and varied career working for such companies as Wang and Implantable Provider Group, as well as a year teaching high school science in Cobb County, she most fully dedicated herself to raising her two children. Whether it was orchestra, baseball practice, or AP physics homework, she was simultaneously a tough taskmaster and their biggest cheerleader. Tracy also cultivated lifelong friendships in every community she joined as she moved from Marietta to Kennesaw to Alpharetta, briefly returned to Mississippi, and later set down more permanent roots in Ellijay and finally Snellville, GA.

Tracy continued her nurturing role throughout her midlife and later years, serving as a caregiver for both of her aging parents and later a full-time nanny for her first grandchild. She so thoroughly immersed herself in caring for others that she often set aside her own needs, never fully realizing the depth of support that surrounded her – a testament to her boundless generosity.

Tracy is survived by her children, Katherine and Alex, her sisters Anne Stascavage, Leslie Schaffer, and Bronwyn Holliday, her grandchildren Maggie and Gwen, and many loving nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Wilma and Dudley, and her sister Kathy McLain.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2026, from 1-4 PM at Kevin Rathbun Steak (154 Krog Street NE, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30307). Anyone is encouraged to email photos, stories, and memories to Katherine at Lkatherinewalters@gmail.com.

Georgia Cremation in Duluth assisted the family with arrangements.