EJ Tracy and her late husband, Tom, have been
generous benefactors to the Mission. Their support includes a donation
to support the Mission's annual Mariachi Festival in perpetuity;
she served as a judge of the 2007 festival and presented The Tom
Tracy First Place Award.
EJ was born in Pontiac, Michigan. Active in sports,
she was named to the all-American field hockey team. She attended
the University of Michigan, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Fine Art. She held various offices while a member of the Kappa Alpha
Theta sorority. After graduating in 1966, she was employed as a
clothing buyer for Davidson's in Birmingham, Michigan.
She married Thomas J. Tracy (who died in 2006)
in 1967 and moved to California. They settled in Santa Ana, where
they raised their five children: Cynthia, Christina, Katherine,
Kilian and Thomas Jr.
EJ's interests include Native American culture
and the American West. She shared this interest with her husband;
the family foundation currently supports Native American youth in
North Dakota and Montana through scholarships to Regis University
in Denver, Colorado.
In addition to her generous support of the old
Mission, EJ has actively supported several schools and universities,
and St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange, including their upcoming Cancer
Center and Mental Health Services.
"Mission San Juan Capistrano is an important
part of our history, not only in Orange County but California,"
EJ remarked. "I'm pleased to join in efforts to save the old Mission
and share its story with others."
