Tracey Hall Woodruff

Tracey Hall Woodruff, age 61, passed away peacefully on February 1st, 2023, in Atlanta, GA, after a recent cancer diagnosis. Tracey is survived by her husband of eighteen years, Tom Woodruff; her brothers, Skip (Debbie) Hall, Scott (Wanda) Wingard, and Patrick Welch; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and adoring friends. Tracey was born on January 14, 1962, to the late Joan Cranfield and Frank Hall, both of whom she loved and respected. Skip was the cool older brother that she admired, probably because he was a bit more rock ‘n roll. She practically thought of Scott and Pat as her kids because, at the young age of eleven years old, their family experienced the tragic death of their father (an Army Golden Knight Team Leader) in a plane crash. This required Tracey to grow up faster than most to assist her thirty-year-old mother in raising a house full of boys. Growing up surrounded by brothers may have led to her natural caregiver personality. Tracey was always a giver. She loved to see the delight in others when she surprised them in some special way. If she ever spied what you liked to eat or drink, it would be at her house for your next visit. Even as a teenager, one of her first jobs was working at a sporting goods store, where she wanted to learn more about the products to truly help people. She also used her discount and help from her mom to keep her brothers in the latest styles. Tracey believed in living life to the fullest. However, as a young woman of thirty-five, she was diagnosed with leukemia. When her local doctors were at a loss, she found Emory in Atlanta, and with the help of their cancer team and a bone marrow transplant, she got what most people never do—a second chance at life. With this second chance, she began living with bright eyes and “no issues.” She rekindled her relationship with her longest lifelong friend, Franziska, and moved in with her and her family in Atlanta. With help from her friend, she got back on her feet and secured a new home at the end of 2003 at Kennesaw Battle Townhomes. This decision would influence nearly the next twenty years of her life. Soon after, she was declared cancer-free in early 2004. She called these subsequent years her bonus years, which would soon be shared by a new friend. Tom first saw her from his balcony as the pretty olive-skinned girl in the sporty red Honda driving a little too fast through the neighborhood. She only knew him as the guy who was always on his balcony. Unbeknownst to Tracey, Tom was disappointed to have paid so much for his new home only to find cell phone reception could only be acquired from his outdoor balcony. As a new resident of the community, Tracey had been introduced by the local realtor/matchmaker to three much older men. Tom thought he would not have had a chance with Tracey if not for those three older guys. Soon, Tom too fell prey to the matchmaker who told him there was someone special he should meet. On April 18th, he was directed to go to Tracey’s residence on Endurance Hill from his townhome on Perseverance Circle. She had just returned from a girls’ trip with some of her more country twanged speaking friends of North Carolina, which would rub off on her for a few days. Tom was sporting a new haircut that gave him virtually no style. Tracey answered the door with a newly enhanced southern drawl and when he introduced himself, she immediately ran up the stairs, leaving him at the door a bit bewildered. Tom learned later that he was much younger than her previous blind dates and she had instantly decided on a wardrobe change mid-introduction. Later, when Tom asked where she was from, she couldn’t hide her newly acquired twang from her girls’ trip as she said in the most Southern drawl possible, “I’m from Western North Carolina.” She didn’t know it then, but he would never look at anyone else the same way he looked at her in that moment. She had reverse Jerry McGuire-ed him as she had him with that twang at “Hello” and “Western North Carolina.” Each recently divorced, their serendipitous meeting was one of many fortunes. Tracey’s positive vision and spirit, combined with Tom’s creativity, led to a series of perfect twists in their nearly nineteen years together. A missed turn on a fantasy house hunt led to a new neighborhood and their first dream home. Even when a hurricane ruined a cruise week, Tracey never saw a problem, only opportunity. With a little luck and little help from their friends, they transformed the misfortune into a perfect Nashville getaway. Years later when they tired of Atlanta traffic; Tracey did not see a problem; she saw an opportunity for a new custom-built home in the woods of Cartersville closer to Tom’s office. Together they imagined their future, and she always brought out the best in him. Her bright-eyed, joyous spirit was contagious and was the biggest gift she shared with everyone she met. Whatever the situation, Tracey only saw the best outcome. A spill on the carpet would not be a problem because Tracey would see an opportunity for new flooring. When the economic collapse hit and she was laid off from her insurance office manager role, she pursued a career selling real estate without hesitation. She had worked in law offices and the mortgage industry, and while she liked those jobs and the families she worked with at in the law offices, she felt like she could connect at a deeper level with people. She passed her real estate exams on her first try and never veered away from helping client after client in their new adventures. As one friend would say, she always made it fun. In the last twenty-plus years she never missed work, continuing to extract the most she could from every day. She continued doing the job she was born for until her last conscious hour—always looking out for others. This is Tracey’s story. It’s a story of resilience, hope, spirit, rebirth, second chances and love. If you feel like you have made a wrong turn, or a storm has blown the clouds the wrong way, don’t run away. Instead, ask what Tracey would see as the next adventure in the midst of this circumstance, and go live each day to the fullest. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society at www.lls.org or The Kidney Foundation at www.kidney.org A celebration of her life will be held on March 11 at 2 pm at the Cheetham Hill Memorial Park in Marietta, GA at The Columbarium.