Amy Tacey

[hikeaz]

Amy passed away late yesterday. For those of you who knew her, you know what a special person she was.

[Al_HikesAZ]

Sorry to hear this news. She had battled valiantly. She was special and will be missed. She logged many miles around the Rim.

[desertgirl]

More details ...repost from the grand canyon backpackers group on Yahoo ...

I have had the wonderful opportunity of having her take me out to Bass Trail head a couple of times and have met her at the Maswick bar & traded tales. She was a "one of a kind".

winejerk2000 's post on Grand Canyon Hikers on Yahoo

I got the sad and very unexpected call from Dennis today. I told
Dennis I would post the details of her funeral and things I know those of us who
loved her would want to know.
As many of you know, Amy's courageous fight with cancer seemed to be going her
way. Around April, her doctor advised her to stop the chemo and go back to
Phoenix for the experimental drug trials. Amy wanted to take a 3 week vacation
with her family...I can just picture her insistence of this. Part way into the
vacation and in Oregon, Amy began to experience lots of pain and so Dennis drove
3 days to Flagstaff where her pain was controlled over the course of week. She
was sent home and her mother came out to be with her. Amy was resting the last
2 weeks in the Grand Canyon Village at her house. Last night, Amy was restless
and Dennis and her mom helped turn her. Dennis said she took 3 breaths and then
passed peacefully. Amy died at 3:30 this a.m., August 19th.

Now here's the cool part. Amy is going to be buried in the Grand Canyon
cemetery. Not a lot folks get that privilege and Amy was really pumped about
it. Her and Dennis walked out and picked out a site....about 75 feet from
William and Emma Bass' gravesite...score Amy. Folks for those of you who might
want to plan a visit to the gravesite in the future, Dennis would be honored. I
have listed his address below.

Amy's service will be this weekend, August 22nd at the Shrine of the Ages
(church by the old visitors center)...Cool again, Amy deserved nothing less.
Viewing for Amy is from 4-5 MST and the funeral is 5-6 MST. Flowers are an
issue at the Grand Canyon for all the reasons including delivering up from
Williams.

Folks, you may not realize this but Amy and Dennis had a mob of kids. Flowers
are just not an option but a trust fund has been set up at the Chase Bank at the
Grand Canyon under Dennis Tacey. All the details have been worked out.

I'd like to challenge her friends and pen pals, those folks she toted out to the
S. Bass trailhead in that honking big pumpkin truck, those she waited on at the
Maswick, those whose lives were just touched with the privilege of knowing such
a spunky, kick-pumpkin person..give something. Dennis asked for nothing. I had to
pull all this out of him. I'm sure the Village there will respond but let's
show our admiration and respect. If you can in these difficult times, even a
little, give a little for Amy because I can damn sure guarantee that Amy would
otherwise be posting this for one of us.

I would also encourage that you drop Amy's family a card. As I mentioned, Amy
had a bunch of kids...precious. This is a difficult time. Let them know you
knew their mom, either at the Canyon, on the road to S. Bass or email (aka the
Hikin'Chick). Send those cards to Dennis Tacey, P.O. Box 1080, Grand Canyon, AZ
86023.

Last, I know that Amy has touched many of us. She was so, so sweet. I'm just
so sad writing this and I don't post often. Rather than reply to this thread
with your stories, for now, just give her family well-wishes and your prayers.
Then I would like to encourage anyone on this group to start a thread of Amy
Tacey Stories that Dennis could print out and her kids could read later. I have
several. So let's just set up a time and date. SUNDAY, AUGUST 22ND, POST AN
AMY TACEY STORY. BUT LET'S START AT 6:01 P.M. MST.

Amy, we love you. We're glad your suffering is over. We miss the hell out of
you. We know the Maswick will never be the same. When we get the proverbial
feces from know-it-all bartenders at the Maswick, we will tell them "You
obviously never met Amy Tacey (and when they've heard this enough times, they'll
either get it or deselect)." We know that you are already putting things in
order in your new home. And that the people there are damn glad you
arrived...we can't wait to see you again.

[RichVintage]

I didn't know Amy or her family at all, except through a mutual friend. I am a photographer and posted on my fanpage for my fans to submit a family who is deserving for a free photoshoot last Winter. My friend told me of Amy, and I offered the free photoshoot to her since she was in the middle of cancer.

I live in northern Utah, and we tried one weekend in December to make it down to the Grand Canyon to take these pictures, and we made it as far as St. George, but the weather wouldn't permit us to go any further, and I had to return to the north.

Months passed, and I felt horrible that I did not fulfill my promise of a family photo session. It was nagging at me, and I had assumed that Amy had passed and I would not be able to fulfill my promise. I was too guilt-ridden to contact my friend to seek an update.

Well, about 10 days ago my friend contacted me and said we need to do the shoot this next weekend. I was relieved and excited to fulfill my end of my promise to the Tacey family—so I came down last weekend (Aug. 14th) and Amy was having a good day for 20 minutes of photos. I met with her and her family, albeit briefly, but I was moved in a way that I can't explain. I knew that she was close.

My friend contacted me Wednesday to let me know Amy had passed away.

I had a sort of spiritual moment, a kind of wow, that I can't really explain. I am grateful that I had that one opportunity to capture some priceless images of Amy and her family on her last good day. I share these photos with you that knew her. I am grateful that she was that resilient to offer me the opportunity to fulfill my promise. I am most happy to be able to share these with her dear friends.