Tracy Zimmerman Graves

TRACY ZIMMERMAN GRAVES (Age 65) Of North Myrtle Beach, SC passed suddenly in FL on February 12, 2022. She is survived by her loving husband of 41 years Dean, her son Zachary, and predeceased by her son Matthew, her parents Jack and Jo Zimmerman, and her sister Belinda Dawson. Tracy was born in Rockledge, FL, and being the daughter of an Air Force veteran grew up all over the world including stops in Japan, Florida, and Lynchburg, VA. She graduated from E.C. Glass high school and went to the University of Richmond where she met Dean and many other life long friends. She received a BA from Richmond and an MBA from The George Washington University. Tracy and Dean were married in 1980 and spent the first 39 years of their lives together in Northern Virginia in Springfield, Fairfax, and McLean. In 2020 they built and moved into their dream home in North Myrtle Beach, SC while they continued to work part-time. At each stop along the way, Tracy with her outgoing personality made friends who then lasted a lifetime. She was active in her church in VA, Redeemer Lutheran in McLean and from its inception she volunteered and served on the board of Women Giving Back in Sterling. Upon moving to SC, she was able to unwind and relax and spent every day walking her son’s and then her dog Hutch, socializing along the way, spending time on the beach and each week at “Music on Main”. As always, she quickly established friends in the neighborhood and through volunteer activities at her new church, St. Stephens Episcopal. Tracy raised two beautiful sons both of whom she was very proud of as they grew into adults. Zachary currently resides in Houston, TX and is a loving empathetic son who loved his mother with all his heart and misses her terribly. The heartbreak of Tracy’s life was losing her son Matthew to heart disease in 2017. Matt was a proud graduate of Clemson University and his friends adopted Tracy, Dean, and Zachary upon his passing. Tracy spent her career in the commercial development and homebuilding field, quickly becoming an admired and respected female executive in a mostly male dominated profession. She was a mentor, friend, leader, and a strong and influential voice in the field. Along the way, she worked for Hunter Development, Thompson Development, Toll Brothers, Terrabrook, Newland, and finally Comstock. She was successful at each stop and thrived in the fast-paced world in rapidly growing Northern Virginia. Tracy’s personality, humor, laugh, smile, and the ability to be relied upon was unmatched. She lit up a room upon entering and everyone wanted to be around her and soak up her joy. Similar to what was said about a former Washington football coach, she enjoyed an unlimited clothing budget, yet always managed to exceed that budget. Over her adult life, the little girl from Lynchburg was able to see the world, the majesty of many sites in our country and places far and wide including Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Tropics, and others. Most memorable of all were trips to Germany to visit Aubrey and Karen, annual beach trips with John and Sandi, and multiple family trips with Dale and Donna. Spending time traveling with Dean, her family, and her loving friends was a highlight of her beautiful life. Dean expresses his gratitude for all of the thoughtful remembrances and prayers on social media, text, e-mails, calls, cards, and letters. He would especially like to thank our very special friends Ed, Kim, and Sandi for rescuing him in FL in time of great despair. There will be a memorial service and celebration of Tracy’s life at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 1545 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean VA on April 23, 2022 at 11 am. Tracy’s ashes will be interred shortly thereafter alongside of her son Matthew’s at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in North Myrtle Beach. In Tracy’s honor, contributions can be made to Women Giving Back at https://womengivingback.org/donate or mailed to 20 Export Drive, Sterling, VA 20164