The always-smiling, humorous, friendly Tracey Boyle, 72, has passed away, according to her daughter, on the evening of Halloween 2019. Tracey loved Batman, and I'm certain she would enjoy her final event synced with this costumed holiday. We all are in mourning, and yet celebrate having known this wonder woman of justice.
Tracey was forever popular. At Roosevelt Junior High School, before Gary Devore, whom she would go on to marry, I was one of Tracey's boyfriends.
Moving on to Douglas MacArthur High School, Tracey Boyle got more involved in the broader social life of high school and beyond. She was in French Club 1; Big Mac Day 3; Prom Committee 3; Office Assistant 3; Class Float 2, 3, 4; Student Government Day 3; Homecoming Decorations Committee 4; and Class Council Alternate 4.
In high school, her first car was a 1960 Pontiac Starchief.
After graduating, Tracey studied at Sparks Business College, married Gary (Mac ’65), and eventually moved to the American Southwest. I once asked her why she and so many others in the Class of 1965 moved to locations like Albuquerque, New Mexico, and cities in Arizona. She told me that one Mac '65 person moved there, and through word-of-mouth, other families would follow, based on the good reports of the weather and work.
Tracey Devore found work quickly in the SW. She was a civilian employee of three police departments for 25 years, as a Police Records Division transcriber. She retired as a Police Records Technician with the Glendale, Arizona, Police Department.
Tracey and Gary would end up living in Sun City, Arizona, which is where she was when she died.
Tracey and I would privately message each other about serial and mass killers, attempting to figure some things out and covertly help the authorities. She was always in communication with her old police contacts.
But in the last two years, Tracey began to detail her health concerns at length. In December 2018, she shared with me, in part, that:
...I had an exacerbation of my COPD. My oxygen level was 83, which is bad. I went to a sleep center to see if I have sleep apnea. I didn't sleep all night. When it was over I was really sick and couldn't breathe. They called 911 and I had an ambulance ride to the hospital. I was there five days. They gave me LOTS of prednisone, and shots in my stomach to stop bleeding. (That was proactive.) Anyway I went to the lung unit and was then transferred to the heart unit. They think my heart was weakened by the attack. I didn't go for the stress test (chemical) until next month. So they put me on a no or very low salt diet, limited my fluids, and can have chicken, turkey or fish if it is broiled, boiled, but no breading and nothing fried. I am so limited that it is miserable. I used to love to cook, but not now. Even going to the store is difficult. I can't have anything in a can, frozen, it has to be fresh. I am still tired, but worse. So many doctor appointments. You know how it goes....
Oh, and all the heavy prednisone doses have given me diabetes. So I have to watch sugar for the next three months, then they will test it again. Are we having fun yet???
Tracey's 72nd birthday was on August 26, 2019.
In September 2019, she back channeled me some of the following:
Hang in there, Loren! I have had a copd exacerbation where oxygen was 83%, which was like that for too long. Long enough that it caused heart damage and had only 40% left. Now I have 20% left with heart, congestive heart failure, very low blood pressure (used to be 140/70), but 85/40 now. I've fallen several times, the last was in front of the restaurant where 12 people were waiting on me for my b'day party. Hurt my foot and thought it was broken as the pain was over the top. However, they said it is gout. LOL Gary has had it for 20 years, but I've never had it. Anyway, that's my story. Still in rehab. Haven't been home in 17 days. I got over my stroke almost immediately because I thought it could be one and took an aspirin immediately. It was in my left eye. Was only blind about 5 minutes....
I was in the hospital in Phoenix from 9/3 to 9/13. They sent me by ambulance to this care home/therapy location that is closer to the house. I have been taken care of from 9/3 to 9/26. They are trying to build me up enough to have open heart surgery, to walk again, etc, Starting tomorrow trying to walk. Every time i turn around its something new.
Publicly, on Facebook, Tracey then wrote on October 16, 2019: "Hi...at home, doing fine. Still ornery and positive.
:) Gary says to tell you we are hangin' in there. Love you all and thanks for your many prayers."
Then, Tracey stopping writing.
We all sadly will miss her. She was greatly loved by the Class of '65. And she loved Gary and her family so much...
