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VIDEO: Tracy Hermann remembered as a 'friend' to Poughkeepsie

Amanda J. Purcell
Poughkeepsie Journal

Family remembered James Tracy Hermann as a funny and warm man with southern charm.

Mourners gather at Christ Episcopal Church in the City of Poughkeepsie to honor the life of Councilman Tracy Hermann.

Colleagues remembered the councilman for the City of Poughkeepsie's 8th Ward as a trailblazer who paved the path for change in the city.

On Wednesday, hundreds gathered at Christ Episcopal Church at 20 Carroll St. in the city to remember Hermann, who passed away suddenly of a heart attack on March 3.

“The city has lost a friend,” Mayor Rob Rolison told those in the church where he worshiped and volunteered. “…We will carry on Tracy’s memory because that is what he would want us to do.”

Hermann, who was recently named the executive director of the LGBTQ Center in Kingston, left behind his husband, Matthew McNamara, and daughter, Roxanne Hermann-McNamara. He was 52.

“Tracy always said everything is better in the morning,” his brother-in-law Jim McNamara said as he read aloud a eulogy written by his brother, Matthew. “We are celebrating Tracy today on this wonderful morning.”

Matthew McNamara and daughter Roxanne reflect over the urn of Tracy Hermann as Reverend Susan Fortunato prays during his funeral service at Christ Episcopal Church in the City of Poughkeepsie on Wednesday.  McNamara and Hermann married in 2004 and adopted Roxanne in 2006. Hermann passed away from a heart attack on March 3rd.

Hermann was a progressive politician and an advocate for LGBT youth. He was a small business owner and an adjunct professor at Marist College.

“Tracy was a generous man,” Rev. Susan B. Fortunato said before the crowd of mourners. “He loved this church and this city. He could brighten up any room he walked into. Tracy could laugh at himself and somehow he was always able to make you laugh at yourself, too.”

Although Hermann was a Democrat and Rolison a Republican, Rolison said they would meet often and their friendship blossomed while they talked passionately about how to improve the city.

READ: Shock, grief follow death of city councilman

Hermann was the second child of the late James Tracy and Sharon Hermann. He was a southerner before he made his home in Poughkeepsie. He was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, and grew up in Owensboro, Kentucky. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Kentucky University in Journalism and pursued a career in publishing.  “He was proud to be a progressive politician,” Fortunato said. “He believed in this city. He believed in making room at the table for everyone — black, white, gay, straight, transgender and even, as you heard, Republicans.”

Matthew McNamara reacts to stories told during the funeral service of his husband Tracy Hermann at Christ Episcopal Church in the City of Poughkeepsie on Wednesday.

Hermann met his husband while visiting Palm Springs for a conference in 2002. They were married in November 2004, when marriage was not yet legal for same-sex couples.

“Matt and Tracy had a kind of relationship that any couple would envy,” Fortunato said. “They finished each other’s sentences and laughed at each other’s jokes. (They would) beam with pride when the other’s name was mentioned.”

The couple adopted their daughter, known affectionately as Roxy, in 2006 when she was 18-months old.

In 2008, Hermann suffered chest pains and underwent surgery on an aortic valve. That’s when Hermann and his family decided to move to Poughkeepsie to be closer to family.

It was in Poughkeepsie that he found his true calling: Civil service. In 2013, when Hermann heard there were no Democrats running to represent the city’s 8th Ward, he ran his own campaign and won.

READ: City honors Councilman Hermann; services set

But life was not always a smooth road for Hermann. Jim McNamara said his brother-in-law suffered from substance abuse, but sought help with Alcoholics Anonymous and the 12-step program to overcome his addiction. By the time he ran for councilman, those experiences gave him strength to become a better public servant, Jim McNamara said.

“He was immediately a natural — listening to people and really connecting,” Jim McNamara said about Hermann’s career as a councilman. “He had hard times with his life, which gave him great empathy to people struggling. He didn’t like to be called a politician but rather a public servant. He always focused on working with people.”

Jim McNamara and Rolison said that Hermann's outlook on life and public service is something to aspire to.

“Tracy always believed that the world and life spun forward,” Jim McNamara said. “And that better and good days were ahead. And to live life to the fullest and enjoy life every moment."

Amanda J. Purcell: apurcell@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4807; Twitter: @amandajpurcell