December 24, 1958 - May 19, 2021
Trace passed into the loving embrace of the Goddess in the early hours of May 19th. Her battle with cancer was unexpected and swift. She is survived by her Husband Alfred Westlake of Loveland, CO and her sisters; Terin O’Brien Johnston of Australia, Kim O’Brien of Culver City, CA, and Karin O’Brien of Carlsbad, CA.
Trace was born on Christmas Eve, 1958 in Long Beach, California. Trace was the eldest of four sisters and grew up in Brentwood, CA. She attended Westlake School for Girls, now Harvard-Westlake. She then received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Oklahoma State University. Trace attended Naropa University and earned their newly formed master’s degree in Transpersonal-Counseling-Psychology. She then attended the Gestalt Institute for Professional Studies and became a certified Gestalt Psychotherapist.
While at Naropa, Trace had an opportunity to travel in Tibet. She fell in love with the culture and was moved by the people and the strength of Tibetan Buddhism. While not a practicing Buddhist, her affinity for their spiritual warriorship and love of their peaceful message influenced her for the rest of her life and motivated her to turn to a more spiritual direction.
Trace worked with battered women at the Boulder County Safehouse and was moved to serve women in need spiritually. She worked with women’s groups and facilitated Goddess Circles and other spiritually oriented services. While doing this she began to study Astrology. This became her lifelong vocation. Working for many years as a professional Astrologer and Spiritual Counselor, Trace had an impact on many lives. Always seeing the good in people and cheering them on towards their better selves, this was her gift.
Trace was a fierce competitor. She participated in athletics in high school and received a scholarship for basketball to University of Southern California. Her real love was tennis. She was a highly successful collegiate and amateur competitor. A natural teacher and coach, Trace taught tennis privately and through the Boulder Parks program for many years. She loved pure sport. She believed that sports were a great place for life learning. Later in life she discovered Pickleball, which she loved, and particularly enjoyed the community that Pickleball seems to naturally create.
Trace loved being in nature. She especially loved the southwest. Camping, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors. She had a love for the desert and southwest culture, art, and architecture. She had an extensive collection of southwestern art which she enjoyed immensely.
While finishing her degree at Naropa, Trace met her husband Alfred. They fell in love immediately and shared an amazing journey of love and healing. For almost thirty years they worked and played together. They had hard times and good times and through it all their love always continued to grow.
Trace was a true warrior. As one of her sisters recently said, she was a “BADASS SMARTY PANTS ATHLETE ACADEMIC SUPERSTAR”. She had a strong sense of social justice and was always ready to go to battle in the defense of others. She often expressed disbelief and sadness at people’s ability to be mean to each other, at the same time she managed to retain a childlike innocence and regard for humankind.
Trace was always fascinated with the ritual and the spiritual beliefs surrounding death and afterlife. She had a strong belief in a spiritual afterlife and she faced death with love and courage. She had a very powerful connection with the Sacred Feminine. Trace was a child of the Goddess and now resides in Her loving presence.
Trace chose to be cremated with no service. In lieu of flowers or gifts she wanted those that are moved to express their condolences to donate to their favorite charity. Love and Blessings are extended to all that crossed her path in life.
Please share your remembrances of Trace so that we may better know her and celebrate her beauty.
