Ernest Bell Tracy Jr.

Ernest Bell Tracy, Jr died peacefully at his home in Old Lyme, CT on November 7, 2022, surrounded by his five children. He joined his beloved wife of 62 years, the late Hazel Bryan Tracy who preceded him a year ago in 2021.

Ernie, as he was known to family and friends, was born in New York, NY on January 3, 1933 to parents Ernest Bell Tracy and Emily Pepper Watts Tracy. He spent his early childhood years in New York and Cobourg, Ontario and attended the Groton School, where he made lifelong friends and prepared for the academic rigors of college upon graduation in 1950. Ernie earned his economics degree in 1954 from Yale College. He proudly served as an officer in the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, OK and Baumholder, Germany from 1954-1956, earning an honorable discharge as a First Lieutenant.

Ernie met the love of his life, Hazel (Hazie) Rosalind Bryan, in 1957, and they enjoyed a beautiful courtship before marrying at St. John’s of Lattingtown, NY in September 1959. They spent their early years in Sacramento, California before settling down to raise their five children in New York City. Ernie devoted his professional career to investment banking, working in municipal finance at Dillon, Read & Co. for decades and then later serving three other renowned firms. His keen intellect and integrity made Ernie a valued mentor to younger members of his project teams. Curious, courteous and generous, he was a consummate gentleman and a loyal friend.

After more than 30 years on Wall Street, Ernie retired to his and Hazie’s beloved mountain home in Londonderry, Vermont where he focused his energy in numerous community organizations, including Friends of the West River and the Londonderry Historical Society. Ernie continued his decades-long service as a board director of the Quebec-Labrador Foundation. Retirement afforded more time for hiking, biking, and skiing, travel adventures, and time with extended family.

Family was Ernie’s greatest love and the defining legacy of his long, beautiful life. Together with his beloved Hazie, Ernie helped raise Ernie III (Karen), Alison Nalle (Alexander), Nina Jaeger (Al), Virginia, and Scott (Charlotte) in New York, with significant seasonal time in Old Black Point, CT and Tunk Lake, ME. A well-read epicurean, he taught them a love of international travel, literature, reading of all kinds (but especially history), and the satisfying challenge of solving a New York Times crossword puzzle. He admired fine craftsmanship, whether a wooden boat, a duck decoy, an antique firearm or an ancient textile.

Ernie was a conservationist who modeled a reverence for the woods of Maine and Vermont and strived to protect open space in perpetuity in places he and Hazie loved. He found serenity in paddling a canoe and freedom in sailing a wooden sloop, and was eager to share those skills with anyone willing to learn. A walk or cross-country ski on a trail, rewarded by a simple home-cooked lunch and closed out by a nap made for an ideal afternoon.

Ernie took great pride in his 13 grandchildren: Dylan, Harrison, and Winslow Tracy; Alexander Jr, Nina, and James Nalle; Bryan, William, and Peregrine Jaeger; Lee Tracy; and, Charles, Catherine, and Edward Tracy. He and Hazie, or “Rosie” as she was affectionately known to the grandchildren, traveled hundreds of miles to cheer on young athletes in sporting events, and admire singers and thespians in concerts and theatrical performances. They were present to celebrate every important milestone, from birthdays to graduations. Ernie and Hazie’s hospitality and generosity were legendary, only surpassed by their unconditional love. They were also devoted to their 29 nieces and nephews, whose friendships greatly enriched their lives.

In addition to his wife, Ernie was preceded in death by his sister Emily P. Gilbert, and his parents.

A private burial is planned. In lieu of flowers, gifts in Ernie’s memory may be made to the Quebec-Labrador Foundation (www.qlf.org)