Tracey Dwayne Garchar

Tracey Garchar was born July 26, 1972 in Denver, Colorado, to proud parents Dwayne and Cherrie Garchar, only 360 days after the birth of his brother John. He grew up in Dove Creek, Colorado, where he loved to play sports and cause mischief with his brother, cousins, and best friends. He graduated from Dolores County High School in 1990 and married the love of his life and high school sweetheart, Angela Knuckles, in 1991.
Tracey attended DeVry University in Phoenix, Arizona, where he became a licensed Certified Public Accountant through their accelerated bachelor’s program. He worked in multiple CPA firms in Phoenix until the birth of their first daughter, Megan. The couple then decided to return to Colorado, where they grew close to amazing neighbors in their new home. In Fruita, Colorado, along with his newly growing family, Tracey began his 23-year long career with the Mesa County Department of Human Services as their fiscal manager and took on many important roles before his appointment to Executive Director in 2010. He loved, protected, and valued the people he worked with – not only for the work they did but the people they were. When not working hard to serve the community, Tracey loved to cook, barbecue, smoke meat, hunt, fish, camp, garden, read, go on bike rides, and sample beer with friends and family. One of his biggest passions was working with his hands and various mediums to craft new inventions, which he lovingly referred to as “piddling.” But his greatest love was his family, including his wife of 30 years and his three daughters, Megan, Lindsey, and Ashley. He was a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, neighbor, and friend who could always be counted on. Anything he did was with his whole heart and soul. Whether it be a new recipe, a household improvement, his daughters’ school assignments or sports, or a special project for the pets he supposedly tolerated, Tracey put everything he had into making those around him happy. His passing on April 25, 2021 was in a place he loved, doing what he loved, with people he loved. He will be deeply and forever missed.
Tracey Garchar is survived by his wife, Angela; his daughters, Megan, Lindsey, and Ashley Garchar; his parents, Dwayne and Cherrie Garchar; his in- laws, Frankie and Arveta Knuckles; his brother, John (Kristina) Garchar; his brothers-in-law, Dean (Patsy) Knuckles, and Gary (Sally) Knuckles; four nieces and one nephew; two great nieces and one great nephew; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.
A celebration of Tracey’s life will be held for the public on May 8, 2021 at 2 p.m. at the Grand Junction Convention Center, located at 159 Main Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501. Memorial services will be held June 5, 2021 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Dove Creek Community Center, located at 403 7th Street, Dove Creek, CO 81324.
In honor of his dedication to fundraising for the community, his family asks that anyone wishing to contribute to Tracey’s memory donate to the March of Dimes, www.marchofdimes.org, or St. Baldrick’s Foundation, www.stbaldricks.org, in his name.