Margit Ann Tracey

Margit Ann Tracey of Washington, D.C., passed away peacefully at George Washington University Hospital on December 19, 2024, with her daughter and husband by her side.

Margit was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Alice (1929–2021) and Bill Bergquist (1930–2015). She is survived by her husband, Richard “Dick” Tracey; her daughter, Rachel Tracey; and her granddaughter, Anora Tracey. Margit was the oldest of four siblings, all of whom survive her: her brother, Stig Bergquist, and his wife, Donna Bergquist, of Needham, Massachusetts; her sister, Kathleen Bergquist, and her husband, Dave Murray, of Ottawa, Canada; and her sister, Kirsten Bergquist, and her husband, Cameron Laing, of Stoneham, Massachusetts. Cousins, nieces, nephews and friends will also miss her dearly.

Margit grew up in Newton, Massachusetts and graduated from Newton North High School in 1974. She attended Westbrook College (now part of the University of New England) and earned a degree in dental hygiene, graduating with honors in 1977. She began her career at a public health clinic in South Boston. Margit then married fellow Newton North graduate, Dick, in 1979. His career as an active-duty Army Officer set the young couple on a professional and personnel odyssey that brought them to Fort Lewis, Washington; Fort Irwin, California; Fort Knox, Kentucky; Gelnhausen, Germany; Amherst, Massachusetts; Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Bad Kreuznach, Germany; Hohenfels, Germany and Lincoln, Nebraska.

Throughout their travels, Margit worked in military clinics and private practices, wrote for professional journals and mentored new hygienists. She volunteered in each new community, served as a lector and Eucharistic minister at each new parish, and shared the traditions of a Bergquist smörgåsbord at every new duty station. Margit cultivated enduring friendships, raised Rachel, supported Dick’s career and educational goals, and pursued her own ambitions; completing a bachelor’s degree in Woman’s Studies at the University of Nebraska. In 2007, Margit and Dick made Washington, D.C. home. They enjoyed theater performances, Nationals games, and new friendships. In 2015, Rachel welcomed a baby girl; being Anora’s Gram was one of the greatest joys of Margit’s life.

After a career spanning nearly 50 years and two continents, Margit retired from dental hygiene at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the spring 2024. In retirement, she adopted a chihuahua from a local shelter. Gabriel quickly became a loyal and loving companion to Margit; he is now in the care of her family.

We will remember Margit’s abiding love of baseball, the Maine coast, the Catholic Church, her family, and treasured friendships. Everywhere she lived, she made a positive difference in the lives of those around her. Once you became Margit’s friend, you were her friend forever.

Margit’s family will celebrate her life with a private funeral Mass on January 11, 2025, at Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Newton, Massachusetts.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association or the University of New England in Margit’s honor.