James Thomas Tracy

December 27, 2016 Mr. James Thomas Tracy, age 89, husband of Eva Cabaniss Burgess Tracy, of 111 Sunline Place, Spartanburg, passed away Sunday December 25, 2016 at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. Mr. Tracy was born in Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland on October 19, 1927. At age three, he and his older brothers were placed in the Catholic Orphanage of Tremonbacca in Derry. At 12, he was sent to work on a farm. Starting in 1943, Mr. Tracy served in the Royal Navy in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters during World War II. He later moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and met and married Patricia Mary McNaughton in 1954. They immigrated to the United States, where he earned an Engineering Degree at the Indiana Institute of Technology in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He spent his career in aviation, from working on Apollo rockets to installing communications systems around the world for the US government. Surviving in addition to his wife are three sons, Kevin Tracy and of Spartanburg, Timothy Tracy and wife Leslie of Sterling, VA, and Terry Tracy and wife Robin of Leesburg, VA; one daughter, Erin Tracy of Stone Ridge, VA; one step son, Donald Burgess and wife Sharon of Union. He is also survived by nine grandchildren, Sarah Biggar and husband Hugo, Bryan Tracy and wife Melissa, Anna Tracy, Kimberly Tracy, Matthew Tracy, Caitlyn Tracy, Eileen Tracy, Rob Tracy, and Megan Tracy; and two step-grandchildren: Richard Burgess, and James Burgess; and five great-grandchildren, Mia, Aidan, Jonah, Nzuhri, and Deidre. He was predeceased by three brothers who died in military service during WWII, his first wife Patricia of 50 years and a daughter-in-law, Donna Pond Tracy. A celebration of life service will be held at 11:00 AM Saturday, December 31, 2016 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church conducted by the Rev. John Warren. Visitation will be held Friday evening, December 30, 2016 from 6:00 until 8:00 PM at the S.R. Holcombe Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Unbound, 1 Elmwood Ave., Kansas City, KS 66103 or to Medical Missionaries of Mary Mission Development Office, 4425 W. 63rd St., Ste. 100, Chicago, IL 60629-5565. The family is at their respective homes.