Dear Friends, Family, and Seabiscuit Fans,
Sadly, we have lost one of our dearest and most dedicated Seabiscuit and Ridgewood Ranch fans.
For me, it was a crowded past week with US Marine Corps memorials, our 246th USMC B-Day, and many Veteran gatherings by Zoom, phone, and in person throughout the Pacific Northwest.
But a huge “stop and look at life” reflection time descended with Tracy Livingston’s final days and passing. Tracy and I occasionally talked about this personal moment in time that awaits us all. Do we face it kicking and screaming, or rejoicing? Was death something to be feared or greeted with inevitable understanding, wisdom and thanks? The two of us leaned toward the latter. As fellow, self-described ‘knuckle draggin’ old farts’, he and I talked about the lessons of life. As Charles Krauthammer would say: the “Things That Matter”. That the most important lesson of History is humility. We all face these realities and have choices. He would chuckle and laugh at me when I ‘weighed in’ stating that the world is NOT falling apart … it is falling INTO place. Tracy was not a fearful guy, and I understood when he stated that after all he’d been through, particularly with the faithful wife and mother of his children, he hoped he would meet death as an old friend.
Tracy was a brother raconteur who loved to share amazing, dramatic & humorous stories with those he trusted (and those who would listen). He could also be so transparent and honest at sharing lessons he had learned in life the hard way. I have yet to meet a man more humble, forthright, and honest. He delivered the facts with a grin. I will miss his wisdom, humor, memories, and servant’s heart. But, above all, I will miss his friendship and candid morning ‘therapy sessions’ about life. Tracy was an amazing encourager. His letters to me while I was in the Iraq War were like a shot of sanity, gentility and focus. We never took our time together for granted. We knew that each call could be the last & we always thanked each other. I am grateful to God for every minute I was able to share with him, whether in a crowded room, on a bustling tour, slowly kicking rocks on a dusty trail, or alone with a glass of wine kicking back as two old buddies, solving the world’s problems and then laughing about our perspectives. We always concluded with the mutual reminder that each day was a gift.
And Tracy was an American patriot. I would listen to him about Church of the Golden Rule & our WWII sanity/reality check. He reminded me & agreed with an Amish gentleman I met in Pennsylvania following 9/11 who saw my USMC cover and shook my hand in thanks for his religious freedom. One of our favorite discussions was reading The Civil War Memoirs of U.S Grant, and discussing Grant’s definitive conclusions, and how Mark Twain blessed America in making Grant’s book happen.
Yes, in a world too full of ‘takers’, Tracy was a refreshing ‘giver’. He was an easy forgiver. He understood love and reconciliation. And he admitted that what separated Christianity from every other religion was what C.S. Lewis said: “That’s easy. Grace.”
He loved us and Ridgewood, and was our friend, knowing all about us but liking and loving us anyway.
On behalf of the Howard family … THANK YOU to all who loved and cherished and were always so welcoming to this special man.
by Colonel Mike Howard US Marines (Ret)
