Theresa Ester Schreiber

87, beloved wife of Michael John Schreiber passed away peacefully on January 22, 2018.

Born January 2, 1931 in Somersworth New Hampshire, Tracy was the third child of Cleophas and Ester Metivier joining her siblings Irene (Roy) Marjorie (Kine), and later joined by John, Daniel, and Claire (Clutts). Irene and Claire are her surviving sisters.

Tracy and Mike Schreiber were married on June 1, 1957 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Tracy was the loving mother to six children; Vivian (Suffoletto), Diane (Cook); Robert; Keith; Jeanne (Walsh), and Caryn (Morton). She was preceded in death by Diane (1974) and Robert (2016). After 61 years of loving marriage, Tracy was blessed with 9 amazing grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, and a lifetime of happiness.

Most recently a resident of Sun City, California but a long-time San Diegan (1958-64 and 1970-2015), Tracy was extremely proud to have been a Navy Wife, her full-time job that literally took her around the world, having lived in Morocco, Japan, and the Philippines. Multiple Navy reassignments were always seeing Tracy and Mike, 6 kids, and a couple pets in a VW bus, driving from coast-to-coast to live in New Hampshire, Virginia, Washington D.C., South Carolina, and California. Hers is a close-knit family that was the center of her world. There was never a friend of a child, a friend of a friend, or a stranded shipmate over a holiday that wasn’t welcome at Tracy’s table. Her motto was “what’s another mouth to feed…there’s always enough!” She lived the ideal that it’s not what we have in our life, but who we have in our life that counts most.

Tracy was an original “gamer” who didn’t need digital devices to play, rather she sought art and truth in the roll of dice or the deal of the cards. She loved the competition of the game but more importantly she treasured the connections to people and the camaraderie that comes from that time, sitting across the table or teamed in play that joined people together. In addition to being a card playing expert…who could count trump in a double deck pinochle hand and never lose track, she also enjoyed a rousing round of hand-n-foot or sets and runs…the more players… the more fun for her. She loved playing Bingo so much that her family called it “going to work” as she brought out her Bingo bag of multi-colored daubers and card supports. This woman could track 20 cards at a time and never miss a number. And yes…she won more than it cost her to play. She knew that her skill at bingo was not in knowing what number would be drawn and picking cards that would have those numbers, rather it was in accepting the numbers on her cards, and the numbers drawn with grace and appreciation. If she won…great!... if not…at least she was on!

Theresa was many things to many different people…daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, neighbor. Regardless of the descriptive, she was always a person who cared about others. She led by example, she loved without restraint, and she touched all who she knew, in whatever capacity with love, respect, and cherishment.