Tracey Diane née Torola Cordle, 64, of Hayward, California passed away in her home on Saturday, August 5, 2023, surrounded with the love of family after a three-year fight with Ovarian Cancer.

She was born on March 11, 1959, in Ottawa, Kansas to the late Lyle James and Glacia LaVonne (Rhoades) Cordle. Tracey was raised in Kansas and Nebraska, spent most of her school years in Fremont, Nebraska, then moved with her family to Minnesota, graduating from Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in Minnesota in 1977.

On June 3, 1978, she was united in marriage to John Torola and they started their life together in northern Minnesota. They were blessed with three children, Abbey, Morgan, and Tyler. Abbey, her sweet child, was born in Fremont, Nebraska, and Morgan, her curious child, was born in Beatrice, Nebraska. Tyler, her happy child, was born in Olathe, Kansas. They spent many years in Olathe making close ties and connections to her friends, both in faith and career, before relocating to the Bay Area of California.

Tracey's lifetime career of senior care began during high school in 1976 at Colonial Acres nursing home in Golden Valley, Minnesota. It was there she met her future husband John, the love of her life. She worked in various nursing homes while raising her family and in Olathe settled at the Good Samaritan Society of Olathe. Her first of many roles there was as the Activities Assistant, with a promotion up to Director of Activities soon following. She later managed a successful fundraising initiative to form Cedar Lake Village where she became the new Marketing Director. She was later promoted to Independent Housing Director and then Director of Cedar Lake Village, overseeing the continued development of the facility where she always created a cheerful and fun atmosphere. In 2001, we celebrated her graduation with a Bachelor's degree in Management and Human Relations from MidAmerica Nazarene University. She was honored as a recipient of the Hoeger Award, bestowed by the national Good Samaritan Society to honor her dedicated service. Tracey completed 30 years with Good Samaritan Society of Olathe, fulfilling a career that endowed a personality of honesty, fairness, competence, and value.

Tracey was committed to faith and family. While in Olathe, Tracey and John attended Redeemer Lutheran Church, where they met many great friends. She was active with LWML, the church board, choir, and the bell choir. She was very active in the community as an Ambassador of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce, was a long-time member of the Olathe Clockwinders Optimist Club and served as its first female president. They attended Church of the Resurrection West during the last few years in Olathe.

Tracey and John, feeling compelled to spend more quality time with their children, followed their wandering spirit and relocated to the San Francisco Bay area along with their two daughters’ families and two grandsons, and for a short time Tyler. They lived in Redwood City, Half Moon Bay, and Hayward, where Tracey expressed her love of singing and joined the Harmony Fusion Chorus. She loved to sail and socialize so they joined the Oakland Yacht Club, continuing to fulfill her love of people and sailing on the bay waters.

Tracey loved family gatherings, spending time with friends, playing games (and winning), celebrating birthdays (especially with a “good” birthday song), everything about Christmas, baking (especially teaching her grandson Oliver how to bake), tour guiding for traveling friends, sharing her ability to know things, and rescuing family on numerous telephone shout outs. She loved traveling with her husband and family, going on group trips with friends, camping in one of the numerous rigs the couple owned, helping her brother Brad with anything he needed, and just being a friend, sister, aunt, and fun person to be around.

Tracey is survived by her husband of 45 years, John Thomas Torola; their children, Abbey LaVonne (Michael Jr.) Gless, Morgan Elizabeth (Michael) Webb, and Tyler John Torola (Emily Meyers); her grandchildren, Oliver and Kagan Gless; her sister, Brenda Kathryn (Terry) Gutschow; her Mother-in-Law, Esther Elizabeth Torola née Maki; along with an uncle, brothers and sisters in law, nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lyle James and Glacia LaVonne Cordle née Rhoades, and a brother Bradley Lyle Cordle.

A memorial service for Tracey Torola is scheduled for Friday, November 17, 2023, at the Worship & Life Center at Cedar Lake Village, 15325 S Lone Elm Road, Olathe, KS 66061.

Visitation at 10:00

Service at 11:00

Lunch from 1 - 4 at,

Redeemer Lutheran Church

920 S Alta Lane

Olathe, KS 66061

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