Memorial scholarship established to honor Officer Paul Tracey

Family members, friends and colleagues gathered on Wednesday morning in front of the Waltham Police Department Headquarters to announce the Officer Paul Tracey Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship honors a Waltham police officer who was killed in the line of duty in December 2023.

Tracey was fatally struck by a vehicle along with National Grid employee Roderick Jackson on Dec. 6 while working a detail on Totten Pond Road. Tracey served with the Waltham Police Department for 28 years. He is survived by his wife Kristin and their two children. 

BrightBridge Credit Union and the GoodWorks Foundation hosted the event to announce the scholarship. They have donated $20,000 to establish the scholarship, which will be awarded annually to a graduating Waltham High School senior who intends to pursue a career in law enforcement or public safety. The scholarship amount will be $1,600, commemorating Tracey’s badge number 16. 

Waltham Police Chief Kevin O’Connell spoke, along with Kristin Tracey, who is also a Waltham police officer. Joan Kuhn, board chair of the GoodWorks Foundation and member of the BrightBridge Board of Directors, and John Howard, president and CEO of BrightBridge, also spoke. 

Waltham High School will oversee the application process and the recipient will be selected by the Foundation Committee. The committee has received and reviewed scholarship applications for 2025 and the inaugural winner will be announced as part of Waltham High School’s awards night event on May 29.