Tracey Dovie Cudd – Obituary
Tracey Dovie Cudd was born 10/01/1969 in Woodbury, NJ. Passed peacefully in her home surrounded by family, on 09/17/2021, after a brief but strong fought battle against colon cancer.
Tracey was raised in Clayton, NJ, on N. New Street. She was employed as a young girl as a paper carrier where she would spend some of her earnings at the local news agency playing Ms. Pacman while eating butterscotch krimpets and drinking strawberry milk (where she had her bike stolen twice).
She was always a top athlete. As a young girl, she was a pitcher in little league boys baseball, making the Allstar team amidst much pushback from those who feared her confident spirit and ability to perform. Throughout school, she was a true friend to many. She was a superhero, a veritable Wonder Woman, for the underdog and that goes for people and animals alike. In her early twenties, she began rescuing animals and became a fierce advocate for feral cats in Gloucester County. She has saved many lives throughout the years through her tireless efforts, ensuring that as many cats and dogs got spayed and neutered as possible.
Her mother instilled in her kindness towards all and the love of God. Some say, “The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.” I say, “The apple never FELL from the tree.”Tracey and her mother were bonded so tightly together. She visited with her mom every single day for hours. When her mother’s health started to decline due to vascular dementia, Tracey remained faithful to her mom and was her primary caregiver as well as the caregiver for all of mom’s animals and she did it singlehandedly.
Throughout her life, Tracey was a fighter for those without a voice. She sacrificed herself and her resources with no expectation of being paid back. She has always done what was in her heart regardless of whether or not we had the money to fund the cause. To date, we have approximately 24 outdoor cats that had all been abandoned and now call our place home.
Whenever anyone asked if she had children she would always reply, “Yes, and they all have four legs and fur.” They weren’t the only kids she considered her own though. She was a second mother to her nieces and nephew, Maggie, Sean, and Amanda.
She loved fast cars, Phillies baseball, Eagles football, and flying. She found peace in the shore town of Strathmere, and her car could drive there on autopilot. It was her dream to one day live there on the backbay. If you needed directions, she had a map in her head of the back roads and could tell you the fastest and best route to take. She worked for the County of Gloucester for over 31 years, many of them being as an Omnibus Operator driving the sick and elderly to their medical appointments. She made many friends along the way and always told folks the truth as she saw it. She would bend and sometimes break the rules to make life easier for those she transported stopping to buy them lunch when she knew they didn’t have the money or if they were simply alone and needed something to brighten their day. During the pandemic, she was often assigned to deliver food for the county’s meals on wheels program. When she returned to the “shop” at the end of her deliveries, they would ask why she took the longest even though she had the shortest route. Quite simply she would tell them, “People need to talk and know someone cares and the world would be a better place if we all took time out to care for one another.”
Tracey left us way too soon, and her loss will be felt for a long time to come. She asked us all to embrace one another, and I suppose that is how we will come to feel her spirit in the lonely days ahead.
If Tracey could make one last resounding statement, I feel like it would go something like this, “Find Jesus, for he holds the answers. Love each other unconditionally. Get your damn pets spayed and neutered!!”
We love you, Tracey!! Until we meet again my sweet girl…..
Tracey is predeceased by her father, James D. Cudd. She is survived by her loving wife, Estelle Hughes, and their furkids. Her mother Irene R. Cudd. Siblings Mark Cudd (Kelly) of Franklinville, Sean Cudd of Franklinville, and several stepbrothers and stepsisters. Nieces and Nephews, Margaret Cudd, Chase Cudd, Jordyn Cudd, Sean Cudd, and Amanda Cudd.
I’ll say it again for those in the back, “Get your damn pets spayed and neutered!!”
Relatives and friends are invited to her viewing on Friday, September 24, 2021, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM and on Saturday, September 25, 2021, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the BARCLAY FUNERAL HOME, 208 Maple Street, Clayton, NJ 08312. Funeral Service on Saturday at 11:00 AM at the funeral home. Interment Cedar Green Cemetery, Clayton. In lieu of flowers, gift cards to Petsmart would be greatly appreciated to help support her furbabies. Please fill out the “From” section to include your return address. Sign the guestbook at BarclayFuneralHome.net. __________________________________________