Tracy Hurley Martin Cause of Death and Obituary: What Happened to Vince Clarke’s Wife?
Tracy Hurley Martin, a renowned agent, film producer, publicist and museum founder, passed away on January 10, 2024, after a two-year battle with stomach cancer. She was 53 years old.
Martin was best known as the co-founder and CEO of the Morbid Anatomy Museum, a unique cultural institution that explored the intersections of art, death, science and medicine. She was also the wife of Vince Clarke, the synth-pop legend and co-founder of Depeche Mode, Yaz and Erasure.
We are heartbroken by the passing of Tracy Hurley Martin, co-founder and former board chair of the Morbid Anatomy Museum in Brooklyn, New York. Tracy's unwavering passion for the arts, unconventional ideas, and overlooked causes made an indelible mark on our community. pic.twitter.com/UuHmyALpY9
— Morbid Anatomy (@morbidanatomy) January 10, 2024
Who Was Tracy Hurley Martin?
Tracy Hurley Martin was born on June 15, 1970, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She had an identical twin sister, Tonya Hurley, who is an author and screenwriter. The sisters grew up in a family that operated funeral homes, which sparked their interest in the macabre and the unusual.
“We find joy in the macabre,” Martin said of herself and her sister in a 2016 interview with the New York Times. “I feel like we’re so intertwined, I don’t know who I am on my own.”
Martin and Hurley moved to New York City in the early 1990s to pursue careers in music, but ended up working in publicity for various artists, including Prince, George Michael, Depeche Mode, Morrissey, the Cure, John Lydon, John Cale, the Three Tenors and Paul Westerberg. Martin also represented the “Goosebumps” series and the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen brand.
Martin met Clarke in 1995, when she was working as his publicist. They fell in love and married in 2004. They had a son, Oscar, who was born in 2006.
Martin was also a successful film producer, who made several short films that were screened at the Tribeca and Edinburgh film festivals. Some of her films include “Baptist of Solitude”, “Best Friend” and “Kiss My Brain”. She and her sister also formed Hurley Sisters Productions, which recently optioned the film rights to Mark Dery’s Edward Gorey biography and the assisted-suicide story of Phillip and Becky Benight.
READ ALSO:- Angela Gillis Died: Saskatoon Mourns the Loss of Creative Music Teacher
A Legacy of Morbid Anatomy
Martin’s most notable achievement was the creation of the Morbid Anatomy Museum, which she co-founded with Joanna Ebenstein, the founder of the Morbid Anatomy blog and library. The museum opened in 2014 in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, and featured a collection of Victorian taxidermy, illustrations of medical pathologies, preserved insects, among other cultish curiosities.
The museum also hosted lectures, workshops, exhibitions and events that explored topics such as death rituals, anatomical art, medical history, horror cinema, occultism and more. The museum attracted thousands of visitors and media attention, and was praised for its innovative and educational approach to death and culture.
Martin was the driving force behind the museum, overseeing its operations, fundraising, programming and publicity. She was also a leading advocate for the Death Positive movement, which aims to promote a more open and honest conversation about death and dying.
The museum closed in 2016, due to financial difficulties and rising rents. However, Martin and Ebenstein continued to work on various projects related to Morbid Anatomy, such as books, podcasts, online courses and pop-up events. They also planned to reopen the museum in a new location in the future.
A Tribute to a Remarkable Woman
Tracy Hurley Martin’s death was announced by her brother-in-law, Michael Pagnotta, who confirmed to Variety that she had died following a two-year battle with cancer. Martin had revealed her diagnosis of stomach cancer on Instagram in February 2022, after undergoing a hysterectomy. She had also shared updates on her chemotherapy sessions and her gratitude for her family and friends.
Her death was met with an outpouring of grief and condolences from her loved ones and admirers. Her husband, Clarke, posted a photo of her on Twitter, with the caption “My beautiful wife”. His Erasure bandmate, Andy Bell, also posted a tribute on Instagram, saying “There are no words. My heart, my soul, and all of my love goes to Vincent and Oscar, Tonya, Michael and Isabelle and all of Tracy’s family and friends. May God bless our precious Tracy.”
Tracy Hurley Martin is survived by her husband, Vince Clarke; her son, Oscar; her sister, Hurley; her niece, Isabelle Pagnotta; and many other relatives and friends. She is also remembered by her fans and colleagues, who admired her passion, creativity, humor and kindness.
Martin was a remarkable woman who lived a life full of adventure and curiosity. She left behind a legacy of morbid anatomy, which inspired and educated many people. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
