Martin F. Tracey

Martin F. Tracey, 88, formerly of Manalapan, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, at Community Medical Center in Toms River.

Martin was born and raised, along with his twin sister Alice, in Brooklyn, NY, to the late Alice (Buttling) Tracey and Martin Tracey. He attended St. Michael’s Grammar School and graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School. Martin served our country honorably in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and then pursued a career on Wall Street in NYC.

In September of 1959, he married the love of his life, Dolores (LaRosa). In 1967, they left Brooklyn to raise their four children in Manalapan. Martin was a devoted husband to Dolores until her death in 1971. In 1976, he married Ruth (Gundersen) Dempsey. Although divorced in later years, they remained companions until her death in 2010.

One of the original members of the Yorktowne Social Club in Manalapan, Martin was active in organizing club events and coaching Manalapan Football. He loved to socialize and enjoyed the many family events that the club hosted, but his favorite event was the annual club picnic. He always reminisced about the food, games and all the laughs he had with his many friends in the club.

He loved family gatherings, Celtic music, traveling, tasty food, and playing horseshoes and pinochle with his competitive nephews. His favorite things in the world were ice cream, watching reruns of sitcoms on TV and his beloved Jack Russell Terrier, Cora. His jovial laugh, sparkling blue eyes and quick Irish wit will be missed by all who knew and loved him.

Martin is predeceased by his first wife, Dolores (1971); his brother, Charles (1997); his sister, Jeanette (Simpson, 1998); his second wife, Ruth (2010); his beloved dog, Cora (2011).

He is survived by his four children: Susan (Gregg) Stropoli, Kelly (Michael) Soli, Sr., Martin (Michele) Tracey, and Pamela Tracey; eight grandchildren: Michael Soli, Jr., Meghan (Michael) Vacchiano, Brianna (Eric) Acosta, Connor Tracey, Stephanie Gregorzek, Alicen Soli, and the twins, Martin and Madison Tracey; three great grandchildren: Adrianna and Desmond Acosta and Tessa Vacchiano; his sister, Marcella (Brophy) and his twin sister, Alice (Alfred) Herrenschmidt; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, December 12 from 1-5 pm at the Damiano Funeral Home, 191 Franklin Avenue in Long Branch. Funeral, Monday; 9:30 am from the funeral home with the Service to begin at 10 am. Entombment will follow at Maplewood Mausoleum in Freehold. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations made in Martin’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10001. Donations can be in the form of a check or made online at their website:  https://alzfdn.org/support-us/donate. The family invites you to leave a letter of condolence by selecting the Tribute/Guestbook link above.

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