St Joseph’s Catholic Church was packed to overflowing as family, friends and colleagues gathered for a sad farewell to Tracey Lea Roberts on January 10.
Tracey’s life was cut short at the age of 51 as the devastating effects of Type 1 diabetes took its toll on her body. Tracey always fought the good fight against the affliction that had plagued her since the age of 16, with her positive attitude and will to live an inspiration to those around her.
Born six weeks early at Gunnedah hospital to Cathy and Fred Roberts, Tracey arrived in the world, a tiny scrap of humanity, with a fighting spirit.
Tracey grew up surrounded by her siblings Cindy, Karen and Daniel, grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins.
In the eulogy at Tracey’s final farewell, Clare Campbell-McKenzie spoke with great fondness about her cousin and friend.
“Tracey was in and around the circle of family her whole life. Family meant many different things to Tracey – there was the family she was born into on March 12, 1973, the large and noisy extended Roberts and Campbell clans; the family she chose, her lifelong friendships made with neighbours, at school, and while hairdressing; the family she was thrust into – the medical teams and her fellow patients; and the family she created, with Jason, Abby and Ossie and the wider Rootes clan,” Clare said.
“Growing up in Curlewis as part of a large family – including the Hobson cousins as a second set of siblings – Tracey had an active childhood, playing netball, horse riding and swimming. She went to school at St Xavier’s and St Mary’s College and was working at Woolworths when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 16. This was the catalyst that would change her life and the lives of those who loved her.
“Tracey was fiercely, even stubbornly independent, however, and not long after that initial diabetes diagnosis, she packed up and moved to Sydney to start her hairdressing apprenticeship at Virgin Hair, Chatswood, initially living with me and my family. There are many happy and hilarious memories for me from that time – I didn’t grow up with a sister and that time established a deep bond between us that lasted for the next nearly 40 years.”
Tracey moved back home to Gunnedah for good in December 1999 as it became obvious the hairdressing lifestyle of long hours on her feet with few breaks was not compatible with the diabetes. She worked at Good Tymz Hair Studio for a while but by then she was also starting to battle the kidney infections and eye problems that ended up being her ongoing companions and she came back to be closer to her support networks and Gunnedah/Curlewis roots.
“When Jason came into Tracey’s life a new family chapter began,” Clare recalled.
“When she was expecting Abby, I remember rushing to the Royal Women’s Hospital as she was flown to Sydney in a medical emergency because of all the complications from the diabetes. Her life hanging by a thread and defying the odds, Tracey fought to stay with us, to bring our Abby into the world. She just refused to give in.”
In 2004, when Tracey was just 31 and Abby a toddler, a kidney/pancreas transplant was made possible by the generous actions of an organ donor and in 2017 a second kidney transplant once again gave Tracey new life.
“Organ donation is grief and joy on two sides of the same coin and we will always be grateful for the actions of Tracey’s donors and their families as well as the fabulous transplant team at Westmead hospital,” Clare said.
Tracey and Jason continued to bring their little family together and in 2008 Ossie was born, again in Sydney as her transplant team wanted her close by.
“Tracey and Jason stayed with me in the few weeks leading up to Tracey’s admission to hospital before Ossie’s birth and I could see how much she was struggling not to give in to how unwell she was feeling, as well as how determined she was to have the baby who would complete their family,” Clare said.
Clare described Tracey as a fiercely loyal friend.
“There are childhood friends, school friends, hairdressing friends, neighbours and many others here today,” she said.
“You wrapped yourselves around her and helped create the ‘village’ that she loved being a part of. Both Curlewis and Gunnedah have held space for Tracey over the years and she thrived in this community.”
Hairdressing was a constant through most of Tracey’s life. She loved it, she was good at it and it loved her back. There are many memorable family stories relating to midnight colours, radical haircuts, fixing mistakes and last-minute touch ups. Tracey was the first hairdresser for many of the children of the next generation, and the event hairdresser of choice for weddings, 21st birthdays, debutante balls and much, much more.
Moving out to the farm was part of fulfilling a dream for Tracey and Jason. Determined as ever not to ‘give in’ to her health issues, Tracey refused to let that be an excuse not to do something so important to them, however, the beast that is Type 1 diabetes never let up and during 2024 Tracey spent more time in hospital than at home.
“Even a below-the-knee amputation did not deter Tracey from her fight to live as normal a life as possible and her regular updates from the rehabilitation ward brought a bittersweet kind of joy to many of us following along on her journey,” Clare said.
“She worked hard so she could have weekends at home and leave passes for family events. She was motivated by many things but particularly the wish to walk into the wedding she and Jason had planned for February.”
A devastating sepsis infection was the final indignity for Tracey’s ravaged body and she passed away peacefully at Tamworth Hospital on December 30, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.
“Tracey Lea, you were a fighter from the day you were born until the day you knew you had spent every last bit of yourself on the fight and there was nothing left in the tank,” Clare said.
“I think ‘never give in’ was probably your motto. You lived your life on your terms and with (or possibly in spite of) the hand you were dealt. Fierce and strong are the words echoing in my head and I know you would have disliked being the centre of attention today. I’m sure if you could say one thing to us today, it would be ‘look at tomorrow because you can’t change yesterday.’ Fly high now Trace.”
The final farewell for Tracey was
followed by interment at Gunnedah Memorial Park and her memory lives on in her children Abby and Ossie who made her proud every day as they entered the workforce and became independent individuals.
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