GEORGE TRACY age 94, a resident of Albuquerque, NM for most of his life, passed away peacefully on July 28, 2012 at his home in Foley, AL. where he had retired. George was born in Helena, Montana, on April 25, 1918 to George B. and Fern McWethey Van Cleve. He lived a long and eventful life. Raised on a sheep ranch, he built liberty ships during WWII, and started Southwest Drywall Company when drywall was still an unknown to most. He worked on the Navajo reservation when there were no roads to the building sites, and materials had to be hauled in over dirt paths. George started Ornate Stone Co. in the mid 1960's in Albuquerque. He leased the Harding Mine in northern NM near Mora. The Harding Mine had seven different ores to be mined. George only mined the lepidolite ore which was eventually used for fire retardant on the nose tiles of one of the first space shuttles. George also leased a white quartz mine from the Sandia Pueblo during this same time which was used in part for pre-cast concrete building panels in Albuquerque. He loved geology, water and snow skiing, fishing, traveling, and camping in remote sites. Most of his family is still in the Albuquerque area. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, George B. Van Cleve and Fern McWethey Van Cleve; brother, Ralph Van Cleve; and sister Annis Van Cleve Anderson Olson. He was beloved and survived by his wife, Marcia; sons: Gary and Greg Van Cleve (Sue); daughters: Gail Giron (Amos) and Gretchen Welch (Steven); stepdaughters: Jena Baca (Corkey) and Julia Kerr (Steve); brother: J.D. Van Cleve (Helen); sisters: Elizabeth Sawyer and Louise Clayton; grandchildren: Tracy Giron, Colleen Faurie, Gregory Van Cleve (Jill), Rachael Van Cleve, Megan, Madison and Maci Welch, Emily Baca, Sarah Talavera, and Kayla Kerr; great-grandchildren: Sarah Giron, Pascal Faurie, Samuel and Joseph Giron and Zoe Van Cleve. George's beloved brother John Van Cleve passed from this life 12 days after George. A memorial service was held on August 2nd in Foley, AL and a celebration of life for the family is scheduled in late August in Albuq.
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