Gregg Stracks, of Boston, MA, loved life and lived each day to the fullest until his untimely death on January 10, 2012, at the age of 40, after an extraordinarily courageous battle against ocular melanoma. He died peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family.
Above all, Gregg cherished time with his family and friends. He and his beloved wife, Sara, fit a lifetime of love into their 8 years together. In partnership with Sara, Gregg fought against difficult odds to live life as fully as possible and not let illness define him.
To know Gregg was to love him. He had an extraordinary gift of connecting with people. He brought people together, created community, and always cared for others before himself. He made everyone feel loved and special. His generosity was unmatched. Gregg loved adventure and travel, always making new friends along the way. He loved nature and found refuge in the mountains and at the beach. He had a love of art and a gift for identifying talented artists worldwide. Gregg saw possibility in the impossible and pushed through challenges to accomplish his goals and vision.
Gregg grew up in Roxbury, CT, and graduated from Shepaug Valley High School in 1989. He majored in psychology at Dickinson College, earned a master’s in clinical psychology from the University of Hartford, and was awarded a doctorate from the University of Denver. Gregg, a natural and gifted psychologist, was a born teacher and visionary. Professionally, Gregg built on his personal values, focusing on caring for others and supporting community and teamwork. He worked for the Clinton Foundation and Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation in Kenya and Mozambique to help address psychosocial needs of families dealing with HIV. In Boston, Gregg co-founded OPUS Leadership Group where he helped leaders and teams be most effective in their work.
Gregg will be forever missed, and his legacy and spirit will always remain with those who knew and loved him. Gregg is survived by wife Sara Selig, parents Joan and Richard Stracks, brothers Mark and David Stracks, niece and nephew Rosulian and Richard Stracks, parents-in-law Ellen and Andy Selig, and sister-in-law Becky Selig, in addition to extended family and many cherished friends and colleagues.
Sara will be sitting shiva at their home in Jamaica Plain, MA, Monday through Saturday (Jan. 16-21, 2012), 7:30pm-8:30pm. A celebration of Gregg's life will be held Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 3pm at the Veronique, 20 Chapel St., Brookline, MA.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Melanoma Research Foundation, 1411 K St. NW, Ste. 500, Wash. DC 2005, to support The Gregg Stracks Memorial Fund for ocular melanoma research; or Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Development Office, 116 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116 to establish The Gregg Stracks Program for Leadership and Teamwork in Medicine. In either case, please specify Gregg Stracks in memo line of check.
