Tracy Ann Petti

First, I want to say thank you to our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Without Him Tracy and I would not have known what true love is all about. Tracy went home to the Lord on June 13, 2024, in San Diego, CA, after a seven year long battle with cancer. She transitioned peacefully with myself and her youngest brother Jeff “Zeke” Branca at her side. “Tracy was such a blessing to so many. Tracy’s love of learning, teaching, sharing, and serving Jesus was beyond amazing.” Thank you, Kathy Pracanica, for those wonderful, descriptive, words about Tracy.

It is only fitting that Tracy’s Celebration of Life is at Taft Middle School on July 20th from 10 am-1pm. You see, 60 years or so ago, Tracy graduated from Taft High School in LA’s San Fernando Valley. I got to marry a valley girl! For sure.

This venue at Taft Middle School is, what Tracy and I would call, a God-incident, because my Tracy Ann was an elementary school teacher for 38 years. I know that she would be honored by us being at this venue, especially since it’s where we meet with God, through our wonderful Pastor Phillip and his wife Bethany, Pastor Cesar, Pastor Allen, and Pastor Richard “Ohana” Orias. Bill Keys, who always took time to listen to me, the Cancer Ministry, and all our brothers and sisters at Horizon Christian Fellowship, also continue to give their support and love. So grateful for all my new and old Horizon friends, like Sparky and Donna, Pam and Glenn, who I’ve known for 20 years. By the way, Glenn played at our wedding 18 years ago and, is blessing us again during Tracy’s Celebration of Life. I also want to say thank you to Philip, Cesar, and Alec for immediately coming to Tracy’s hospital bedside and praying for Tracy and me. We are forever grateful.

Anyone who knew Tracy knows she lived her life for others. When we meet at our house for weekly bible study, we have a table with 4 placards that simply say “OTHERS”. The placards surround our core group’s tithing box. Our little group, along with many others, helps support Horizon’s missionaries like Matt Herbst, in Malawi, Africa. Matt and Tracy shared a love of photography and artwork along with teaching the kids about Jesus. Tracy never had to be reminded to help fund the tithing box, she just quietly did it.

Our small group, which is starting its ninth year, glorifies God through our friend and teacher Alec, who has been a rock at my side every minute of this season, along with my dear sister in Christ, Vickie (Alec’s wife). Our group also includes Nancy (Vickie’s mom), and worship man Rick, who sent videos of praise music to Tracy recently while she was in the hospital. Other members of the core group are Mark and his wife Joana, Chuck, Kitty, and always will be missed, Tracy’s BFF, her matron of honor, Johanna. Johanna moved to North Carolina out of Christian love to be alongside her elderly mother. Johanna was able to talk with Tracy by phone just days before the Lord took Tracy home. These friends all make up our Love the Lord Core Group. Small but mighty in giving of their time, talent, and treasure.

Tracy was my trophy wife, my MVP—Most Valuable Petti and she has the trophies to prove that.

Tracy loved to travel. Many times, she would pull out the photos of our trips back east to visit our son Grant, his wife Anna, and our grandkids, and my sister Cathi and family. Photographing the vivid fall colors of Massachusetts and New York where the families live while spending the holidays with them were some of her most loved memories. One year all 9 of us went to New York City for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. We saw the giant floats, ate the best pizza, rode the subway, and we built lifelong loving memories visit by visit.

If you knew Tracy, then you know that she loved to read. Besides being part of two Christian women’s groups (a bible study, and a book club), after she retired, Tracy wanted to have what is known as a Little Free Library outside our house. So, I built one for her. But of course, loving the little kids as she did, we added a separate children’s section, built low so the kids could get to their books without needing help from mom or dad. This is just one example of Tracy putting others first, even if they were small and low built.

Again, always thinking of others, for 10 years in a row, in her retirement, Tracy attended the high school graduations of the students she taught in 1st grade. Every year Tracy compiled a photo of the kids’ elementary school years. She brought the album to their high school graduation. She would photograph these former students, now graduates, from a borrowed graduation yearbook to add to the photo album. Then, after the graduation ceremony was over, she would search out each parent to give them that album. She loved her projects! What a gal I got to marry. Speaking of projects, our wedding day, January 21, 2007, was the happiest day of my life. What a project that was to put together.

Everyone Tracy knew was a recipient of her others lifestyle. When Tracy was asked recently to participate in a clinical trial of a new cancer drug, she immediately said yes and added, “If it doesn’t help me, maybe the next person.” The word immediately has a scriptural context as well. The disciples left what they were doing immediately and followed Jesus. People were healed immediately when touched by Jesus. Jesus got in a boat and immediately He and the disciples were on the other side. Tracy Ann did not hesitate to think of others immediately, even regarding decisions related to her cancer treatment.

Giving of her love, time, and resources never stopped. However, I, her husband, was without doubt, the greatest recipient of her others lifestyle and behavior. I received her never-ending Love. No matter what I put her through, she lived by the scripture, “Love never fails … endures ALL things.” I’ll just leave it at that !!! Tracy had me frame that scripture and hang it in our sitting room.

Speaking of picture framing, that is how Tracy and I met 20 years ago. Tracy walked into my picture frame shop and the rest is His-story. The first thing Tracy had me frame when she came into my shop, on my 50th birthday, was two copies of bible scripture. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, the Love chapter. Tracy asked me to frame one copy for a guy and one copy for a gal. She gave me the copy for a guy, and she kept the one for the gal herself.

We agreed from our very early days that our dating would lead to marriage or not, and by the Grace of God it did. So, fast forward and off we went to Horizon pre-marriage counseling. Yay God!

We shared love, gardening, butterflies, cooking, architecture, artists and their artworks, Padres, TV shows, books, and many other God given life pleasures. However, the best of God’s pleasures we shared, was our walk with Jesus. Being equally yoked in marriage is a wonderful gift and blessing to share.

In addition to being an elementary school teacher, Tracy was a prize-winning photographer at the Del Mar Fair. She loved the Fair. She even worked at the fair one summer where she befriended the sky ride construction manager, Alberto, who traveled from fair to fair with the sky ride. She would go to the fair 4-5 times every year. And not just here at Del Mar. She even took my sister Diana to the Orange County fair. She just wanted to surprise Alberto and say hello.

Many times, in the summer, we would head north to Washington where her family home was. Whichever family member showed up, off we went to Lynden, WA, home of the Washington State Fair. I used to call Tracy my Carney. One birthday, I got her a coffee mug and I had it inscribed. It said, “Happy Birthday Carney One Kenobi. May the force of HIM be with you.” It was all about the Car Demolition Derby at the Lynden, WA fair.

Not only was Tracy a prize-winning photographer and a prize-winning cook, but she obviously had her quirky side too-Demolition Derby?!!! Tracy’s other accomplishments include being two-time teacher of the year, a union steward (such an activist!!), volunteering to help teach the kids for weekly bible instruction at Sequoia Elementary School and summer vacation bible camp at Cubberly Elementary School. Tracy’s Horizon mission trips include Poland, Hawaii, local San Diego, and Horizon Christian Fellowship’s First Responders to New York City after 9/11. Tracy also helped with “make and take events” hosted by Horizon women. She especially loved the resurrection garden which was a favorite of all the women.

Tracy loved crafting, no matter how much work I had to do. Yikes ! I collected palm fronds after winter storms for Tracy to make reindeer face Christmas decorations. Tracy added googly eyes and big red Rudolph noses to them. It was a collective effort. Not to mention the rose shaped pine cones she had me collect while up at Stanford Medical Cancer Center which she then gifted to her church sisters.

Tracy started handing out gold stars to people who helped us navigate this life season. She did this everywhere: the Uber drivers, the airport people who attended to our needs, including the wheelchair attendants helping us thru security, even all the doctors and especially the loving nurses who cared for Tracy during this season. Many of these people proudly showed us both that they still had the gold stars on their ID badges, during our many doctor appointments whether here, at the airport or at Stanford.

Tracy’s mom Doris was a nurse. Tracy had me photograph her mom’s Florence Nightingale’s Nurses’ Pledge certificate so Tracy could give it to the nurses she bonded with. Tracy customized every photographed certificate on the back with a personal thank you.

Just recently Tracy and I attended our church marriage retreat up in Irvine, CA. Our love for each other was mimicked by the love in our church. Due to my vertigo, I could not drive long distances safely. Wheelchair and all, Alec and Vickie brought us up to the retreat in Irvine and Gary and Julie brought us home. True Christian love !!! You see, our first date was Horizon Christian Fellowship’s Valentine’s Day dinner 20 years ago. The Horizon Christian Fellowship marriage retreat was our last true date together. Oh, and Tracy gave out gold stars there too !!!

But, most of all, the biggest and best prize Tracy “won” was being saved by the Lord Jesus. Scripture says, run the race so that you may obtain the prize. That she did. Jesus took her into His arms many years ago and she never looked back. Tracy taught me and brought me under His wing too. I’ve been telling people that I have been saved twice—once by Jesus and once by my sweetheart, the love of my life, my Tracy Ann. I miss her every day.

When you hear the doctor say “Get your loved one’s house in order,” you simply smile and know that your house was put in order from the day you accepted Jesus Christ.

Tracy heard Jesus say to her, “Well done good and faithful servant. Welcome home.” Louella sent me this in her condolence card, “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal.” ‘Till we meet again my Love, I love you! Your husband, David James.

Tracy is preceded in death by her father William “Daddy Bill” Branca, Jr., her mother Doris Given Branca, her other younger brother Richard William “Dick” Branca, her father-in-law and mother-in-law John and Arlene "Penny" Petti, and her nephew-in-law Joseph Petti.

Tracy is survived by her husband David James Petti, their son and daughter-in-law Grant and Anna Martin, and their three children, Caleb, Alivia, and Jacob; her brother and sister-in-law Jeff “Zeke” and Wendy Branca, and their daughters, Kelsey Wilpone and her partner Ryely, and Emily Branca and her partner Alec; her nephew Russell; David’s brothers and sisters/Tracy’s brothers and sisters-in-law: Richard Petti, his wife Chris, their daughter Kristyn Petti Wagoner, her husband Todd, their daughter Samantha; Diana Petti and her daughter Jennifer; Cathi Matuza and her husband Steve, and their sons, Jason, Stephen and Brennan; Kenneth Petti and his wife Jenelyn, and Kenneth’s family Jonathan, David, and Alicia.

July 2, 1949 – June 13, 2024