Traci Gayle Zeller

Traci Gayle Zeller (Grieshaber) was born in Topeka, Kansas (think Dorothy’s ruby slippers – there is a theme here) to Alfred (Al) and Eleanor Gayle Grieshaber on June 23, 1974. Two years later, her sister Terra was born in Quantico, Virginia. Al’s military career provided the family the opportunity to travel and move several times, including to Okinawa, Japan (where Traci got to drink sugary drinks at a friend’s house, which were not otherwise permitted in the Grieshaber household) before returning to Virginia and ultimately settling in Albany (pronounced ahl-bin-ee), Georgia. Her love of travel (and fashion) was instilled early.

Traci’s early life was filled with promise and academic achievement. She usually had all of her schoolwork finished before the school year started which led to some interesting conversations between her mother and the teachers.

Traci was the valedictorian of everything she ever did. She was reading the New York Times at the age of four and was extremely frustrated when Terra wasn’t able to do the same.

She was first in her class in high school. She attended the University of Richmond where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting), was President of her sorority, Alpha Phi, won the Charles T. Norman Award (awarded to the best graduate of the School of Business Administration), and the C.J. Gray Achievement Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Leadership. Traci noted that she chose the University of Richmond because it was beautiful and her desire to be surrounded by beauty began at an early age.

Immediately after completion of undergrad, Traci went to law school at the University of Virginia. While at UVA, she won the Law School Alumni Association Award for Academic Excellence (awarded to the graduate with the highest academic record), was admitted to the Order of the Coif, and was a member of the highly prestigious University of Virginia Law Review. However, her proudest achievement at UVA Law was being the first woman to graduate number one in her class.

Upon graduation, she clerked for the Honorable Edward Earl Carnes of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. When Judge David C. Keesler of the Western District of North Carolina inquired about her when he was interviewing her to be his first clerk, Judge Carnes stated, “You hire that girl or I am going to fire someone and hire her back myself.” Her career was wide ranging. Following her clerkship with Judge Carnes, she was a management consultant with McKinsey and Company, a litigation associate at Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson, the first full-time clerk of Judge Keesler, and most recently at Paul Hastings where she handled litigation and white collar matters.

After law school, Traci’s career landed her in Charlotte where she met Michael Zeller in 2001 and they were engaged on February 25, 2002. Mike and Traci got married at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel on February 15, 2003. When it came to romantic relationships, Traci often shared her core belief, “Stable is sexy.” This was valuable, wise advice that she shared with many women throughout her life and during the twenty-one years she and Mike were able to share.

The couple was blessed in 2006 with fraternal twins, Henry and Charlie. Traci took time away from work to be a stay-at-home mother when the boys were infants and devoted the soul of her being to their development. During this time, she was also the President of Charlotte Mothers of Multiples and Mike insisted on having a name tag that said “First Dad.” Traci focused much of her time and attention to ensuring that the boys obtained a quality early childhood education, learned how to speak fluent French by attending a foreign language immersion school from kindergarten through fifth grade, and nurtured any interest they expressed. The boys were fortunate to have such a gift for a mother.

While many lawyers are academically gifted, very few are also artistically gifted. Traci decorated the Zeller residence herself and it is a showplace of beauty and creativity and has been published multiple times in numerous publications throughout the years. Her work on her own home helped to realize that her calling was a mix of creativity and problem-solving. Once the boys started school, she opened Traci Zeller Interiors.

As a designer, Traci created a Gossip Room and Powder Room for the prestigious Kip’s Bay Showhouse. Her work has been featured in national design publications like Veranda, Traditional Home, Better Homes and Gardens, Cottages and Bungalows and Southern Cottage and on the cover of magazines like Southern Style, Charlotte Home + Garden, SouthPark magazine, Lake Norman magazine, Charlotte Home Design and Décor and Wine Spectator (Mike says this is the pinnacle of her career with his beautiful wine room). Traci has thrice been named one of Charlotte's most stylish people. In support of her design business and being a Francophile, she traveled with a friend to Paris twice a year with her last visit this past March.

Traci accomplished more in fifty years than most humans do in a lifetime.

Traci loved “pretty things.” When the twins were small, she often told them not to touch Mommy’s “pretty pretties.” She loved beautiful jewelry, designer shoes and accessories, clothes with a particular affinity for Christian Dior, and made many a friend by opening conversations about fashion. She took pleasure in a beautiful room appreciating fine art, wallpaper, and items as simple as a teacup with a spoon. Traci was an absolute champagne snob and was excruciatingly proud of her self-taught mastery neatly folding a fitted sheet as well as becoming an expert flower arranger. Mike often “complained” about the endless shipment of peonies from The Netherlands.

While Traci leaves a legacy of academic achievement and beauty, those things pale in comparison to her overall character. Traci possessed a depth of moral character which was reflected in her daily life and the way she treated others. Traci never made anyone feel small. Traci believed in people until they believed in themselves. She was always able to raise people up. Most certainly, there are probably an unknown but large number of individuals who would call Traci “my best friend.” Traci’s intellectual gifts put her in the top one percent of humans, and she was always able to listen to any life challenge and offer wise, quick, efficient, sage advice. She helped guide other lawyers, designers, mothers, and mentored others without one shred of jealousy. Traci always believed the world had more to offer and she did not need to compete with anyone else. Traci also always wanted to do her very best at everything she ever did and felt that if she could not do her best, it simply was not worth doing at all. As a result, she was the very best of friends. She never once failed at being a friend.

The business description of Traci Zeller Interiors was “Classic, chic interiors, for a modern well-lived life,” and she had a well-lived life.

Traci is survived by her husband, Michael, her sons, Henry and Charlie, her sister, Terra Varnes, her father, Alfred Grieshaber Jr., his wife, Debbie, and daughter Rachel Elizabeth Homza, and her beloved Pomeranian, Chloé. She was preceded in death by her mother, Eleanor Gayle Grieshaber.

To further honor the memory of Traci and in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to either Furnish for Good https://furnishforgood.org/ or The Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/. Both organizations were important to Traci.

A Celebration of Life Service shall be held Saturday, September 7th at McEwen Funeral Home at Sharon Memorial Park, 5716 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28212 at 2:00 p.m. followed by a Champagne Reception at Carmel Country Club, 4735 Carmel Road, Charlotte, NC 28226 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Parking will be extremely limited at both locations so carpooling or a car service is recommended.

In keeping with Traci’s aesthetic, please dress in your most colorable fashionable clothing.