Obituary of Harry Burt Tracy

Harry Burt Tracy Harry Burt Tracy passed away in the early morning hours on February 2 with Veronica, his wife of 28 years, holding his hand. Harry was a kind, generous, confident man of integrity with an easy laugh. We will all keep his spirit in our hearts. He was born on the island of Tutuila in American Samoa on August 30, 1922 to Leonard B. Tracy and Philomina Rankee-Tracy. His early childhood was spent living in several places including Georgia, California and Hawaii. His family moved to Keyport, Washington when he was still in grade school and remained in the central Puget Sound area. In June of 1941, right after graduating from Highline High School in Burien, Harry joined the Navy as an apprentice seaman. He served in the Pacific during World War II and became an aircraft mechanic. He stayed in the Navy for 20 years and retired as a Chief Aviation Machinist Mate in July of 1961. Later in 1961, Harry enrolled at Oregon State University to study fisheries science. After graduating from OSU, Harry became a professional environmentalist in 1965. He began by studying salmon and their habitats down in southwest Washington for the Department of Fisheries. Harry next went to work for the state Water Pollution Control Commission which became part of the Department of Ecology when the agency was formed in 1970. At Ecology, he became an expert in toxic marine spill policy. He wrote our state’s first oil spill contingency plan, a blueprint for responding to an oil spill in Puget Sound. He also wrote many other important environmental manuals for dealing with environmental disasters in our waters and holding those who caused them accountable. He retired from Ecology in 1982. Harry was a man of action who kept himself busy outside of work. He was a fisherman, a chess champion, a mechanic, a card player, a Master Mason, and a recreational farmer who raised sheep, chickens and turkeys. He will be remembered as a man who believed that “anything worth doing is worth doing right.” This attitude colored everything he did. As a fisherman, he never failed to impress his friends with his knowledge, skills, top-notch gear and specialty boats. As a chess player, he studied the game extensively and became a champion-level player. When opponents weren’t handy, he played with people by mail and over the Internet. And anyone who saw his sheep farming operation couldn’t help but be impressed. He designed and built a multi-zoned system of fences and gates and a barn with many advanced features. It all looked like a commercial ranching operation. All of these things and much more made Harry truly unique. He liked to work hard and pursue excellence in all aspects of his life. He was both a scholar and an outdoorsman. He loved to learn and generously shared his skills and knowledge. He had tremendous confidence, but was always humble and respectful. For these and many more reasons, he will be deeply missed. Please leave your stories and condolences for the family on the guestbook listed below. Thank you.