Tracy Raymon Bigley Jr. was born July 31, 1933, in Iowa City, to Tracy Sr. and Eula Bigley. He passed away January 4, 2021, in Jefferson. Tracy grew up in Leon, where he loved playing sports: football, basketball and baseball. He also loved music, math and history in school.
After graduating from high school Tracy entered the United States Navy, where he proudly served during the Korean War as an aircraft mechanic on the P52 Neptune. Any that knew Tracy, would remember him wearing one of his many Navy, Korean War veteran baseball caps.
After his military service, he came home and met the love of his life, M. Arlene Keller. Tracy and Arlene wed in a double wedding ceremony with Arlene’s sister Shirley, and Tracy’s friend James Rea on October 7, 1956. Three children were born from this union: Denise, Tracy III and David. Tracy and Arlene dearly loved their family and attended every event their children and grandchildren were in.
Tracy worked as a manager for Graham’s Department Stores before becoming the business administrator for the Iowa State Training School for Boys in Eldora. Tracy served his community as well, as the president of the board of education of Eldora Schools. He was president of the Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis Club. He served as president of the Eldora Little League as well as a coach for his sons’ baseball teams, and as chairman of the board for the Methodist Church in Eldora.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 64 years, Arlene; his daughter Denise (Eric) Ernst; sons Tracy III (Angela) Bigley and David (Tammy) Bigley; niece Martha Ann Anderson; grandchildren Matthew (Nikki) Ernst, Amanda (Kody) Kramme, Alex (Ali) Ernst, Tyler (Molly) Ernst, Katie (Cody) Lloyd, Noah (Brook) Bigley, Cameron and Shane Fleener. He has six great-grandchildren, Cooper, Gabriel, Kaden, Zoe, Kenzie and Lenyx. He also leaves behind sisters and brothers-in-law as well as numerous other family and friends.
Tracy will be remembered as a man who wasn’t afraid to show his feelings and love for people and things that he felt strongly about. He will be missed, but the life he led is a model for all of us. A celebration of life will occur at a later date.
The family is assisted by Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home of Jefferson.
