TRACY DAVENPORT GOSSARD passed away on Tuesday, February 24th, 2026. Her family and friends will always remember her for her creativity, quirkiness, kindness, and love for others. She was a real lady with her own unique style.
Born October 30, 1960 in Lawton, Oklahoma, Tracy attended John Adams Elementary, Thomlinson Jr. High School, and Lawton High School where she was a member of the High Steppers drill team. She was also a member of Future Farmers of America (FFA) which provided her with treasured experiences showing cattle at exhibitions in Oklahoma and neighboring states.
After high school, Tracy traveled to Sherman, Texas, in 1978 to attend Austin College. Her experiences and education here helped shape her core beliefs and worldview, and made her a staunch advocate for the value of a liberal arts education. She was a member of the Kappa Gamma Chi sorority, and also a Little Sister to the DRAKE fraternity. She graduated in 1982 with a BA in Business Administration and a large collection of friends she would stay close with all her life.
After passing the CPA exam, Tracy worked in accounting firms in Dallas, Texas and then moved to Washington, D.C. to continue her accounting work, helping numerous entrepreneurial businesses build a firm financial foundation for later growth. She had many great experiences in DC and loved living in the Capital area. She was always happy entertaining visiting friends and family.
Tracy felt an unfulfilled need to express her creativity and that led her to return to Lawton in late 1989 to begin a new challenge as a decorative painter. That career, though, was somewhat sidelined when she met her future husband Grady at a friend’s Twelfth Night Christmas party. Their first date was on the following Valentine’s Day, which may explain the holiday’s significance later in life. It remains unclear who actually proposed marriage; regardless, they were married in Lawton on April 20th, 1991.
Tracy and Grady moved to Austin, Texas in 1993, living first in the Lost Creek area and in 1996 moved again to the Rosedale neighborhood. This would be home for the next 24 years and Tracy took full advantage of all that living close to downtown Austin and the University of Texas had to offer. In particular, Tracy loved the music scene and was a frequent visitor to the live music venues around Austin. Proximity to the newly established Central Market also fueled her passion for cooking and entertaining which she did often in their little 1940’s frame house.
Life took a huge change in direction with the birth of her son Robert. Tracy made it her mission to supply Robert with a wide range of experiences, so it wasn’t long before he was being entertained with local music at the Continental Club, which was just the start. She and Robert visited construction sites, parks, creeks and swimming pools and traveled often to visit family and friends. One year they vacationed on a dairy farm in Vermont. Tracy encouraged and arranged for Robert to participate in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, 4H Shooting Sports, archery training, and livestock shows. Most recently, the two were spotted at the Hilltop Café near Fredericksburg listening to another favorite, Johnny Nicholas.
The search for a preschool led Tracy to All Saints Episcopal Church. Tracy’s passion for helping others inspired her to volunteer with a number of the ministries at the church, including Loaves and Fishes, Meals on Wheels, Flower Guild, and cooking dinner for the college congregation. Her favorite was the Home Cooked Fridays program where the church laid out a good meal with tablecloths, silverware, and center pieces for the homeless community that lived near the campus. She also started a new ministry, St. Lucy’s Card Guild, which sends out hand-colored cards to homebound members and others who might need a bit of joy that comes sometimes in the mailbox.
In 2020, feeling that a change of pace was needed, Tracy and Grady moved to New Braunfels, Texas. Finding and joining St. John’s Episcopal Church, Tracy again shared her skills and love of helping others by knitting prayer blankets, supplying Christmas toys to the needy, baking cakes and other treats for church events, participating in prayer groups and transplanting the Card Ministry to her new congregation. Entertaining continued as well, with dinners and even a couple of ‘High Tea’ gatherings for her prayer groups. Tracy had just finished her annual Valentine’s Day mail-out of hand-decorated cards to over a hundred family and friends. She was always thinking about ways to bring a little love and joy to people and thought receiving something physical and personal in the mail was a great way to do that.
Tracy had a unique gift for keeping up with her family and friends, especially her beloved parents. Her genuine desire to stay connected was an inspiration. She made sure to call and catch up with people and reach out if someone was in need. Tracy’s big heart created a lasting legacy with all who were blessed to know her. We will all deeply miss her grace and presence in our lives.
Tracy is survived by her husband of 35 years, Grady C. Gossard; her son Robert D. Gossard; her parents Bill and Beverley Davenport; and her sisters Kim West and Holly Neumaier, and her husband Jim; two nieces, a nephew and their families, as well as loving cousins and close friends. A Celebration of Life service will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 312 S. Guenther Avenue, New Braunfels, Texas, at 2:00 PM on Monday, March 23, 2026. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Episcopal Relief & Development or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
Published by Austin American-Statesman from Mar. 4 to Mar. 8, 2026.
This obituary was published by Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home – New Braunfels.
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