Louis John Tracy passed away on 2/15/2025. He was born in Barre VT in 1933 to Louis and Elsie Tracy. His father and mother's family hailed from Bedford QB and Highgate Springs.

Throughout his youth, he developed a love for the outdoors and spent time hunting and fishing with his father and uncle. Many hours of his childhood were spent in the Missisquoi River area.

As a young adult, he served in the Army during the Korean War as a map maker and stationed in Fort Bragg, NC. During that time, he spent his spare time learning to become a pilot and owned his own plane. His instructor was a stunt flyer, so John had the opportunity to learn adventurous skills that he loved to use while flying. After the Army, he returned to East Barre to work as a drafting engineer developing stone-cutting machines for the granite industry.

In the mid 60's he owned and operated his own motorcycle/snowmobile shop in Barre.

In 1969 he met Joanne Pratt, his future wife-to-be, and they were married for 55 years. He also adopted her two children James and Marriane. Their daughter Lisa Tracy (Bove) came along a year later. They moved to Washington, VT where they spent the next 50 years. While in Washington Louis served on the Fire Department, bus driver, and was very active in the Baptist Church. During this time, he and Joanne ran an Upholstery Business.

Louis ("John" to friends) accepted Jesus as his savior in the late 70's with his wife and daughter. At that point, he started actively serving in the church as a layperson. The call of God on his life was strong and he had a heart to help people. In the 80's he started studies and training to become an ordained minister through the Southern Baptist.

In 1986 Louis became Vermont's first layperson to be ordained by the Southern Baptist. After his ordination, he and Joanne Served the Barre Community through the Barre Baptist Fellowship. Throughout the years of their soup kitchen ministry, they served over 100,000 meals to people in the community. At 80 years old Louis and Joanne retired from the ministry.

His favorite verse that he often referenced in life was 1 Corinthians 13:1-13.

1. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails.

Louis spent his final years near his daughter's home in North Ferrisburgh, Vt. He is survived by his wife Joanne, James Tracy, and Lisa Bove (Tracy) and his son-in-law Thomas Bove and their family members.

A burial service will be held this Spring in Washington VT.