Service Information
Tracy M. Hassan, age 58, of Hutchinson, Minnesota, passed away on Thursday, November 16, 2023, at her home.
Gathering of Family and Friends will be held on Monday, November 27, 2023, from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at Dobratz-Hantge Funeral Chapel in Hutchinson.
Obituary
Tracy Margaret Hassan was born on September 23, 1965, in New York City, New York.
The daughter of William Hassan and Theresa (Haner) Hassan, Tracy was the eldest of four children. Her family resided in Woodside, New York until Tracy was in 3rd grade when they moved to Glen Rock, New Jersey. She attended Catholic school through 8th grade, first at St. Sebastian's Catholic Academy and then at the Academy of Our Lady at St. Catharine. Tracy was a 1983 graduate of Glen Rock High School, and she received her B.A. in Government from Connecticut College in 1987. She also attended the University of Maryland where she received her M.A. in Communications.
Tracy was united in marriage to Christopher Kleiman on August 31, 1987, in Port Huron, Michigan, and they were married for 36 years. Tracy and Chris resided in Port Huron, Michigan; Greenbelt, Maryland; and Joyo, Japan before settling in Minnesota. They lived in Roseville and Golden Valley, eventually landing in Hutchinson in 2002. Together, Tracy and Chris had two children, Grant and Maggie. Tracy loved being a mom; teaching her kids how to find excitement and humor wherever they went.
Tracy’s gift in life was her unique way of seeing the world that helped her understand people. Her gift allowed her to bring joy to everyone who met her. She could tell from a short conversation what it was that people needed, even if they themselves didn’t know. That was what made Tracy so special and caused people to seek her friendship and advice.
Tracy enjoyed making connections with people and being involved in many activities at every stage of her life. As a teenager, she was involved in the New Jersey Junior Miss competition where she won the "Spirit of Junior Miss" Award. She also served as a delegate to the Girls’ Citizenship Institute. As a young adult, Tracy interned for Night of a Hundred Stars II and New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg. Tracy stayed heavily involved in her community after moving to Hutchinson. Many of her friends and neighbors knew her as a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, the Hutchinson Rotary, No Lines Improv, and the Hutchinson Theater Company. A lifelong athlete, Tracy was involved in basketball, soccer, volleyball, and was a regular morning walker at the lazy river.
Tracy’s gift also opened the door to many unique employment opportunities throughout her life. She worked as a Congressional Aide, an assistant at the National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, a teacher with the Japan Exchange Teaching Program, a headhunter with NYCOR Group, and as a realtor with Coldwell Banker. After moving to Hutchinson, Tracy worked as a marketing specialist with Hutchinson Area Health Care, an office assistant with American Family Insurance, and as a marketer for Bethlehem United Methodist Church. Tracy also worked as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional for the Hutchinson school district and New Century Academy. Her greatest passion, however, was working as an independent trainer impacting the lives of those who attended her sessions.
Tracy thrived on stopping and talking with people everywhere she went. Nobody she met remained a stranger for long. She was an incredibly generous and loving soul, seeing life as one big conversation. Both a walker and a talker, Tracy loved going for hikes with her friends, family, and her dogs. No matter where she went, she brought joy and energy to everyone around her.
Tracy passed away on Thursday, November 16, 2023, at her home in Hutchinson, at the age of 58 years.
May she find the understanding, affirmation and joy she always brought to others.
Tracy is survived by her:
Husband, Chris Kleiman of Hutchinson, MN;
Son, Grant Kleiman of Sioux Falls, SD;
Daughter, Maggie Kleiman and her fiancé, Cody Sondergaard of Sioux Falls, SD;
Parents, William and Theresa Hassan of Wyckoff, NJ;
Sister, Kelly Cunningham and her husband, Hans of Allendale, NJ;
Brothers, Bill Hassan and his wife, Pamela Salerno of Ramsey, NJ,
Mike Hassan and his wife, Kirsten of Burke, VA;
Many other relatives and friends.
Janet Beich Hall says
Tracy, I enjoyed getting to know you during Shadowlands. You will be missed. Sympathies to your family.
Aunt Terry & Uncle Bill says
How beautiful dear Dennis. Thank you for the love shown our beloved daughter
Terry & Bill Hassan (Her Mom & Dad) says
She loved this play and the people who were in it. Thank you for the love you have shown our incredible daughter.
Pastor Steve Olcott says
I will miss my fellow New Jersey friend. The Lord blessed me with knowing you. I’m praying for her family. The Lord has her in the palm of his hand.
Terry & Bill Hassan (Her Mom & Dad) says
Thank you for loving her. Thank you for the prayers, they are much needed.
Diane Workman says
So so sorry to hear of the great loss…Way too soon. Gods Speed.
Grace (Diane) Yannarelli Workman
Judy Sladek says
Oh Tracy, Bob and I are so sad to read this. Was so good to see you at Cash Wise on Vet’s day. Always will remember your frienship ! Our deepest sympathy to family and friends of this Dear Lady!!
Terry & Bill Hassan (Her Mom & Dad) says
Thank you for the friendship you gave our Tracy. Please continue to pray, they attempt very appreciated
Jeanne Ray says
Tracy, I met you at a Realtor class that we took at the college in Hutchinson in 2004. We turned in our teacher for not teaching, and that was the last Realtor class at the school. We have been friends since. You were there for me 5 years ago when I needed you for my PTSD. You bought me a pink notebook. on the first page was “what did you appreciate today?”
Terry & Bill Hassan (Her Mom & Dad) says
That would be like Tracy, always seeking justice. Please prayer for us and her siblings.
Ross & Stacie Jurek says
Chris, Grant, and Maggie,
Words can’t even express how saddened we are to hear of your wife and mom’s passing. She had this infectious presence about her that if you didn’t know any better, everyone would have thought we have had so many years of memories together. Little would they know that our years together were too quick and too short.
I wish we could have stayed more connected after our kids were away in life. But please know, how much her friendship was appreciated. She was the first mom to call me when we found out our boys were becoming lifelong best friends, and that blessed relationship followed when their younger sisters formed that same relationship.
Tracy was very much like a second mom to both of my kids. She helped our son step out of his comfort zone and trekked on a Leadership Camp, of which she nominated him for and found grants for him to attend. She also helped our daughter choose her college in a field that Tracy knew she had a passion for. If it wasn’t for her encouragement, direction, caring, and understanding presence in my kid’s lives, they wouldn’t have the foundation they have today.
I will be forever grateful for her friendship, and I can’t imagine where things would be without her help, in so many situations that I sought her friendship on.
Be at Peace Tracy. It is well deserved.
Terry & Bill Hassan (Her Mom & Dad) says
Stacie and Ross. Tracy talked of your family often. She absolutely loved your children. Please pray for mine.
Jeanne Ray says
Tracy, I met you at a Realtor class that we took at the college in Hutchinson in 2004. We turned in our teacher for not teaching, and that was the last Realtor class at the school. We have been friends since.
Donna Telecky says
Hugs and prayers to Tracy’s family. American Legion Auxiliary Unit 96 will miss her…she was excellent in chairing Girls State. Also, she was always willing to volunteer. Rest in peace, Tracy.
Terry & Bill Hassan (Her Mom & Dad) says
American Legion and Girls State was so important to Tracy. Thank you for being an extended family to her. God bless you all.
Tommi Lynez Smith says
Tracy, I am going to miss you!! I just started to get to know you.
Irene Genelin says
Tracy is a force of empathy and kindness that will always be remembered. I am stunned to hear of her passing. I wanted to share this poem with those of you reading this memorial, as I think she would have loved it, and I hope you will find some comfort in it too.
I heard this poem while listening to the On Being Podcast with Krista Tippet while she interviewed John O’Donohue. John wrote this poem for his mother at the time of his father’s death.
Beannacht (Gaelic word for blessing)
By John O’Donohue
On the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.
And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets into you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green
and azure blue,
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays
in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.
Terry & Bill Hassan - her Mom & Dad says
Thank you for these uplifting thoughts. We are finding this time unbearable We ask you to pray for all of us and remember Tracy in your heart, always.
David Allen says
I have fond memories of working with Tracy at Hutchinson Health and on projects after we both left. Tracy was never afraid to say what she thought and to challenge authority. These qualities contributed to improving the world, though it may have come with a cost personally. In my estimation, she was a hero! The world will miss her.
Terry & Bill Hassan (Her Mom & Dad) says
She loved her job. She was a hero but it did impact her. Please keep her in your heart.
Leslie Keil says
Tracy’s family,
I am totally shocked and so sad to learn of Tracy’s passing. Words are truly inadequate in describing how tough it is to accept this reality! Whenever we bumped into one another I was so thankful that Tracy shared how Grant and Maggie were doing and where they lived. It meant so much to know that my kindergarten Kleiman kids were finding their individual niches and happy in their life choices. Tracy’s contributions to all of her passions were extraordinary. She worked diligently to research, improve, and follow through on any project she felt needed attention. Those efforts made a difference in the lives of many and will have a lasting effect on many causes. Losing Tracy is a tragic loss. May God comfort all of us who knew her and appreciated all she had to offer. My sincere sympathies to Chris, Grant and Maggie.
Den Hassan says
I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.
Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost.
The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love,—
They are gone. They are gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not approve.
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world.
Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned. I will miss you greatly trace may the four winds find you safely home. May the wind always be at your beck and may you be in heaven an hour before the Devil knows you’re gone Godspeed cousin
Dcn. Joe & Veronica (Ronnie) Gorini says
Tracy, her siblings, and parents, are like extended family to us. Her passing leaves a hole in our hearts. Yet, we have many sweet and wonderful members of our family-like times together in Glen Rick NJ to bring her back into our lives through our minds and hearts. We join with her family at this sorrowful time in grieving for Tracy’s passing. We are praying for Tracy and her family – and we will continue to pray until we are all together in our Heavenly Home for all Eternity.
Terry & Bill Hassan (Her Mom & Dad) says
Thank you for your kind thoughts. Thank God for memories. Please continue to pray for us and her siblings We find this time unbearable.
Livia Gorini Legg says
I am deeply sorry for the loss of Tracy. I was childhood friends with Tracy’s brother, Billy. The Hassan’s were like a second family to me, and I spent many days and nights at their home. Growing up, I admired Tracy and her intelligence, quick wit and self-confidence, especially in her teenaged years. Through the beautiful tribute written, I am inspired by the woman she became and all the lives she touched. I know she is loved and will be greatly missed. Sending my love, prayers and condolences to the Hassan and Kleiman families.
Jeff and Nancy Penick says
I met Tracy in the MOMS Group in Golden Valley and remember what an infectious smile and laugh she had! She was such a good mom, always looking for ways to engage her children and help them learn.
We remember fondly “Grant and Maggie coming over to play”!
After Tracy and the family moved to Hutchinson, she would sometimes suprise us and stop in on the way to a Mn Lynx WNBA game 🙂
Please know Chris, Grant, Maggie and your entire extended family that you have our prayers and support.
Joy & Ken Wehmas says
Our thoughts and prayers are with you Chris, Maggie and Grant. Tracy was a special lady with so much energy – I enjoyed talking to her and would feel uplifted afterwards. She had a great smile and humor. May you find comfort in the good memories you all made together and let those and your faith carry you thru this time.
Margaret Shimpa says
Tracy always remembered my name ( Margaret) because of her Maggie. I was a regular “lazy river walker” and enjoyed conversations with Tracy as we walked and swam laps. A favorite memory of mine: a couple winters ago, it was a snowy evening and I passed Tracy on the snowy sidewalk near St. A’s. We both chuckled that we were the only ” smart” ones who would be out walking in the peaceful winter’s night. We ended up changing “our routes” and walking together instead.
My prayers to all of her family and friends who are missing her smile.
Brian Baumann says
Thinking of you Tracy! Great memories!
Kristen Schuft says
To Tracy’s Family,
I did not personally know Tracy. However she reached out to me following my husband’s unexpected passing in 2018. Having done so, I have to believe she was praying for our family in our time of loss. I will do the same for you. Loss of a spouse, best friend and parent is an extremely tough road to navigate, five years later I can offer this – time does indeed heal, memories last forever, faith is an absolute blessing and God has a plan for us all. There will no answers this side of heaven and once we arrive at our final destination it just won’t matter any longer…because we’ll be home with those we love. You’re in my prayers; remember to take each day a day at a time and know that your loved one is always much closer to you than you think.
Angela Gorini Perrone says
How very sad we are to learn of this devastating news! My sisters and I grew up across the street from Tracy and her family. The Hassans were such a huge part of my childhood. Tracy was my first babysitter and helped me learn to ride a bicycle, catch fireflies and climb trees.
When a few boys kept teasing me while walking home from St. Catharine’s School, our mothers recruited Tracy to stay by my side and protect me. They were all intimidated by her and never bothered me again! My special bodyguard. (PS – she definitely enjoyed the experience)
One year Tracy surprised me with a handmade “candy corsage” to wear on my birthday that was the envy of the entire class. Tracy was a person I always looked up to.
I haven’t seen Tracy in many years and I’m sad we will never know each other as adults. Reading her obituary made me see how accomplished, intelligent, worldly and loved she was. It was a short life, but it was a life well-lived… rich with meaning, experience, depth and purpose.
Bravo, Tracy, to the woman you became! A true shining star. I am proud and honored to have known you.
Sending deepest love and condolences to Terry and Bill, Kelly, Billy, Michael and their Spouses, Tracy’s husband Chris and their Children. May you all feel our prayers of support during this most difficult time. XO
Cindy Wendorff says
Tracy will be missed by so many! I met her over two decades ago. No matter how long between conversations, we would catch up instantly. She was wise and experienced in so many ways. She was always willing to help and contribute to anyone in need; always ready to listen and care. Heaven has gained a star! My sympathy to her family!
Norma Smith says
Chris & I are shocked to hear this news. We first met Tracy when she was in undergraduate and Chris K & Chris S. were friends at the US Coastguard Academy. Just as tides ebb & flow our friendship has done the same. Seeing each other then not. I am so sorry that we have lost such a wonderful person, wife, mother & friend. Fair winds & following seas.
Mary (White) Ventura says
I am so sorry for your loss. Please, know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers!
Jane Hiza (White) says
Our deepest sympathy Terri and Bill for the loss of your daughter. What a beautiful soul she was. Beautiful obituary. God Bless you and your family .
Joseph Hogan says
Tracy Hassan is deeply woven into the memories and experiences of my childhood and young adulthood and it is so painful to learn she has passed away. For many years the kids in our respective families were like siblings – lots of visits at the holidays, days on end spent at the beach when we visited the Jersey Shore after moving to Ohio. I have so many fond memories of being in Glen Rock and the Jersey Shore as kids – listening to Bruce Springsteen albums, playing basketball in the driveway out back, sitting around the kitchen table after eating dinner, roaming around the neighborhood, and hanging out late at night laughing and telling stories about who knows what. When we stayed at each other’s houses there were kids, blankets and pillows strewn all over the living room – at one point I think there were 10 of us (!) if you count the youngest in my family.
I have a specific memory of a wonderful adventure driving with the Hassans from New Jersey to Ohio using the most indirect route imaginable – I think it took us through Delaware and Maryland. It may be that I learned from Tracy and her family to appreciate the journey as much as the destination because you get to spend more time together during the journey. To this day a long and meandering car ride with a close friend or loved one is one of my greatest pleasures.
The last time I saw Tracy – and it’s hard to believe it was this long ago – was when we brought our kids (Jack and Grant) to the Museum of Natural History in New York. It had been several years but we picked up as if no time had passed. It was wonderful to see her and spend the time, and to experience the joy and wonder of these two kids who shared a passion for dinosaurs and all things prehistoric.
Someone wrote here that Tracy was a beautiful soul. This is the Tracy I knew growing up and it’s wonderful that this is how her adult friends saw her too. She was also blessed with a quirky and wonderful sense of humor, a remarkable intellect and quality of mind, and an uncanny ability to connect on a human level. I gather that she left a positive and lasting impact on many, many lives. Mine was certainly one of them.
I offer my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Tracy’s family and friends. May she rest in peace.