Tracey Helen Premo

Tracey Premo, aged 56, passed away peacefully on Feb 21, 2025. She leaves behind her cherished children, Anthony (wife Nicole) Premo, Sky Premo, and Tavish Premo; her beloved grandchild Ava Premo, and another grandchild on the way, Anthony "Little Tony" Premo. She is also survived by her loving siblings, Brandon Manchester and Danica Manchester; and her devoted parents, Brenda Atwood and Charles Manchester. Tracey was preceded in death by her husband, Tony Premo, and grandparents, Helen Atwood and David Atwood.

Tracey was a free spirit with a big heart, who radiated warmth and love to everyone she encountered. She made friends effortlessly, transforming acquaintances into lifelong companions. Her boundless generosity and protective nature endeared her to all who knew her, as she tirelessly supported and protected those she loved.

As a mother, sister, daughter, and friend, Tracey's immense love for her family and friends was always evident. Her legacy of kindness, empathy, and fierce loyalty will continue to inspire all who were fortunate enough to have known her.

Tracey will be deeply missed but forever remembered for her vibrant spirit and her unwavering love for others.

Tracey was born in San Jose California where she was absolutely spoiled rotten by her grandparents. Oftentimes she got whatever she wanted, even if it was candy for dinner after her mother told her no. One time when she wanted something she couldn’t have she looked her grandmother in the eye and informed her, “that’s okay my grandpa will get it for me.” She enjoyed horseback riding, believed she had a special connection with horses and always wanted to stop when seeing horses to offer them apples or carrots. Yes, it’s true as a child she did place her kitten in the oven and she did bite her pet rabbit’s ear (rabbits scream in case you didn’t know), and yes, she did also traumatically and infamously snip the eyestalks off the snail in the fishtank. Eventually she did learn to be gentle and caring towards animals to the point If she only had one apple to last her a week, she would eat half and throw the other out for a deer in the backyard. Thinking ahead was not one of her strong suits! Everyone already knew that, but living for the moment and IN the moment, for being caring- those were things she was known for. She was quirky and spunky, honest and forgiving, maybe too forgiving. You’ve heard the expression “forgive and forget” and that was definitely her, but really she was more like forgive and forgive. She never forgot a story and could recount an unbelievable number of them with names of people you haven’t heard uttered in three decades. Just don’t hand her anything important because she’d lose it somehow in about 12 seconds. Her phone, her wallet, the debit card she left in the ATM, endless number of keys, a shoe that was on her foot, the fork that was in her hand…gone. She’s the only one you’ll ever know who had a wireless remote locator attached to her tv remote and her cell phone so she could find it within her own house, even within her own purse. Seeming how she was full of surprises, she would shock you by somehow whipping out an important document like an original birth certificate that managed to go unscathed despite a fire where she lost mostly everything. That was because she said it was kept safe in her bible. Always making sure to include carrots on her grocery list to throw out for local deer, one which she recently insisted had twins. Her heart was pure and kind even if it didn’t always translate into logical thinking. Tracey’s intentions were motivated by compassion. There’s a lesson to be taken from that.

Tracey and her mom eventually moved back to her mom’s hometown in Missouri when Tracey was in early grade school. The two blondes made the trek halfway across the country in mom’s cherry red ‘72 ford mustang. Somewhere along a dark desert highway, the cool wind in their hair…. mom threw a cigarette out the window, which much later morphed into a story recounted by Tracey into something that sounded more like a scene from Terminator where there’s a semi explosion. Spoiler alert: her and mom zoomed away on a mustang motorcycle narrowly escaping their death. It was what everyone later referred to as a “Tracey story”, which we all loved because she told really colorful, exaggerated stories that sometimes left you asking whether the two of you really were at the same place at the same time. She was very much a comical story-teller and had so soo many stories to tell that she remembered vividly in her mind. She would have you rolling on the floor with her version of something that would be just a mediocre story if someone else was telling it. She loved a good thunderstorm, even though it was usually “the worst thunderstorm” she has ever seen (of course until the next one).

Tracey was at the Piggly Wiggly in Missouri with her mom in their favorite aisle, the ice cream aisle, when they met Charles aka Joe Manchester who would later adopt Tracey and lead to two more siblings, Brandon and Danica. In the early 80’s after the Navy stationed the family to Virginia, the five of them moved to Norfolk which is where she would soon meet the love of her life, Anthony Raymond Premo aka Tony, who was finishing up his stint in the Navy in Norfolk. The two of them were majestic, blonde-feathered hair, fringe-boot wearing, heavily perfumed 80s icons who first met at an Ozzy Osbourne concert. Tracey didn’t even like Ozzy Osbourne, but just went along with a friend. After getting together with Tony, the rest was history as far as that goes. They were two peas in a pod. She’d grab her big can of aqua net, use pliers to zip up her tight jeans and go with him anywhere and everywhere, usually band practice or Taco Bell. After being stationed in South Carolina in 1986, Tony and Tracey and the family moved to Goose Creek, a suburb of Charleston. Tracey and Tony got married in SC while they were stationed there and had their first child, Anthony Atwood Premo in 1987. The following year the family moved to Plattsmouth after being stationed in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1990 Tracey and Tony welcomed twins, Sky David and Tavish Caleb Premo. Tracey was a young mom, having the three boys by age 21, but loved being a devoted mother so much, as well as a wife to Tony.

Sadly Tony passed in January 2018 and Tracey's world started to crumble. She was lost a lot without him and tried her best to get along. The two of them had so many friends who can attest to how the two of them were like one person, TraceyNTony. Tracey loved Tony so much, and everyone loved them. Good luck finding an enemy of either one, they didn’t exist. Tony was a guitar genius and Tracey could make friends quicker than a hiccup. The two of them were the most lifelong, cherished, personable, amusing, animated, unparalleled pair of friends you’d ever meet. True friends to people. The two of them, together or separate, could go into any store or any place, anywhere, and come out having made genuine lasting friendships with a complete stranger. Which is exactly how they met each other. It was amazingly beautiful.

Kids, kids, kids. Anyone who knows Tracey knew how much she loved kids and how much they really adored and loved her. She shared in common a magical way of thinking with kids and they would just go off in their own conversation, not a care in the world. One friend’s little boy, True, really in particular loved Tracey so much and she really enjoyed talking with him, asking him questions, then getting a kick out of his responses. When asking him what she should name her cat, he thought about it and said to her the cat’s name should be Sour. Tracey thought that was a perfect name. They were both spunky and creative. He would sometimes get to spend the night with her and the two of them would have so much fun together. One really vivid heart-touching moment was watching him climb up behind Tracey on the chair, over her shoulder, crashing into her lap landing upside down yelling, “Tickle me, Tracey, TICKLE MEEEE!” letting out the most excited and gleeful cries for pleasure and playfulness with her. She was crazy about that little boy and he was crazy about her, serving as a sort of surrogate child or grandchild to her. Not that Tracey ever needed a reason to be crazy about a child because they were her specialty. She would soon learn she was going to be a grandmother and that brought her great joy, but sadness that Tony wouldn’t be able to share in the joy of that miracle.

Tracey’s first grandchild, Ava Grace Premo, came November 2022 and Tracey was in love. She adored the way she has a dimple on her face like her dad, Sky. A second grandchild, Anthony Daniel Premo aka Tony, is due to be born april 2025 to Anthony and Nicole and Tracey was so very excited and proud of that. She was making plans to go to Florida after the birth of little Tony coming up.

Always eager to help a stranger, to share anything she had, to make dinner for a friend or to help you around your house, Tracey wanted to be of service to people. She was very down to earth and the most giving, likeable and approachable person you’d ever meet. Although restless and tormented by mental anguish and physical pain, she loved fast and hard. She was enough to crack anyone up, really just a very lively extraverted person. She would make friends with the teenaged girl in the makeup aisle, the sample ladies at Costco, the gas station attendant about their necklace, and your neighbor’s grandma all in the same day and would somehow know intimate details about their lives. People gravitated towards her friendly demeanor and she immediately made them feel comfortable. The only thing she talked about more than Jesus or makeup was the moon. She loved taking pictures of the moon. It's no surprise Halloween was her favorite holiday and she loved her black cats, Hocus and Pocus. ,

Tracey was proud of her boys, proud of her faith and thoroughly enjoyed visiting with her friends, who most likely have a plethora of pieces of Tracey scattered about their homes she left behind- her clothing, a sweet note she wrote,, or one of her many gifts she was always giving to everyone she met. Tracey’s constant kindness towards others revealed her true character. Her sense of humor and ability to laugh at anything was a key personality trait everyone enjoyed about her. Her sweet tormented soul is finally at peace. We’ll meet you on the moon.

“Some of the most generous people have no money. Some of the wisest people have no education. Some of the kindest people were hurt the most.”


Funeral Mass: Tuesday, March 4th, 2025 at 11:30 am, with visitation starting at 10:30am all at St. John Vianney Catholic Church.