Gatch, Tracy LeeRay – 1945-2021

GARCIA, GATCH, LEONARD, QUEENER, ZELLERS, ZWICKER

Posted By: JCGS Volunteer
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:32

Tracy Gatch, at the age of 75, died March 21, 2021, in Des Moines with his cherished loved ones at his side.
A celebration of life will be held in April, with a date to be determined later.
Tracy was born the son of Lyle and Golda Gatch, July 30, 1945, in Ames. He graduated from Newton High in Newton. Tracy had an interest in auto mechanics and went off to a tech school in Kansas City, Mo., for a year. He later decided that he didn’t want to do auto mechanics because he didn’t want his hands dirty all the time and moved back to Iowa. Tracy went to work at American National Can in 1967, where he met his wife of 10 years (Cindy Gatch of Des Moines). Tracy and Cindy lived in Des Moines and went on to have three children. Tracy ended up working 39 years at the plant before retiring at age 59.
Tracy was a lifelong collector of tools and enjoyed putting them to work. He loved going to flea markets and garage sales in search of something he didn’t yet have to add to his collection. Tracy dated Susan Lee of Des Moines for the last 17 years of his life and looked forward to the Sundays they spent together. Tracy was a man that believed in having a plan and executing on that plan. He very much believed in God’s plan and that everything that happened to him was already written in God’s book.
Survivors include two sons, Stacy Gatch of Des Moines and Timothy M. Gatch of Des Moines; one daughter, Heather Garcia of Ankeny; two grandchildren, Alexis Queener and Addison Gatch of Ankeny; and one step-grandchild, Lizzy Leonard of Des Moines. He is also survived by a brother, Tom Gatch of Sioux City; and his two sisters, Vivian Zellers of Michigan City, Ind., and Virgina Zwicker of Arlington, Texas; and girlfriend, Susan Lee. He is also survived by several nieces, nephew, cousins and friends and was dearly loved by all.
Source: Newton Daily News; March 22, 2021