Tracy Livingston
Colonel’s Corner –
Salute to Tracy Livingston
“Tracy and his Tales”
by Colonel Mike Howard US Marines (Ret)
Historian, Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation
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.
On behalf of the Howard family … THANK YOU to all who loved and cherished and were always so welcoming to this special man.
Special Thanks to Jacqueline and Tim Cooper (both SHF president emeritus & president), for keeping me and others in close touch toward the end.
And to those stepping forward with ideas to honor him … I love the idea of a “Tracy Livingston Bed & Breakfast” … what a blessing to Ridgewood, Willits and Mendocino County. And there are so many other ways in which we will connect Tracy to Ridgewood. The porch he loved, the trails he took, his special spots during each unique tour he gave.
When my father, Lindsay Howard Jr, (Lindsay House was named after his Dad & my Grandpa Lindsay Howard Sr., best friend and partner of Bing Crosby, who named his son Lindsay) passed away, we honored his request and spread his ashes around the original Seabiscuit Statue as Santa Anita. Perhaps some of Tracy’s ashes can can be spread around our Ridgewood Ranch Seabiscuit statue Remember that this beautiful colorized bronze would not be there today had it not been for Tracy’s vision. What a legacy to SHF & Ridgewood.
With Tracy’s passing, we have all lost “our source” of great living Ridgewood stories … drama encompassing humor and tragedy.
But we are all blessed to now cherish and share our favorite tales from Tracy. He and I were working on our fascination with Black Bart robbing two stages and leaving poems at each site on Ridgewood. It was our last ranch tour series of smiles. Tracy loved the fact that gentleman bandit ‘Black Bart’ (the Wild West English outlaw, stagecoach robber, prospector and soldier Charles E. Boles), was also a poet.
Yes, together, many of us could each compile a story or chapter for another SHF project: “Tales from Tracy”
I am so THANKFUL that the “Last Tour of Ridgewood by Tracy” was recorded when we did. Thank you SHF Team!
History and our lives are so fragile and delicate … like the Bible says in James 4:14:
“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
Yes, each breath we take is a gift. Borrowed from God.
And History’s number one lesson is humility.
Tracy loved “Hobbit Adventures”.
In true Lord of the Rings fashion, I got a call from someone years ago who had original furniture from Howard House. She graciously wanted to donate it to SHF. I shared this info with Tracy and we immediately put together a “I buy you fly” plan: He flew up here to the Columbia Gorge, picked up our rented furniture truck. Got the historic furniture and artifacts, and then we celebrated around our fire with wine and a new ‘ Biscuit tale. He then headed back to Willits. So the furniture that my GGrandfather, Grandpa and Dad enjoyed is now “Home”! Even the bed that Bing and Dixie Crosby shared with their kids in Howard House.
And yes, Tracy put together “the rest of the story” for future tours as he so wonderfully did. Another prized patch in our history quilt.
And another personal thank you to Tracy and Margie, who helped me better understand what really happened post 1950 Ridgewood … from lumber harvesting to church planting.
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.
Above all, Tracy Livingston was a man of warm integrity.
Vaya Con Dios Tracy,
Col Mike
Helvetia, Oregon
This “Jackie Gleason” image was the last good laugh Tracy and I shared.
We could always love, debate and disagree agreeably … and laugh some more in a crazy world.
SEABISCIUT AFTER RACING