Family was the main melody that ran through her life. Husband, children, grandchildren, sister, brothers, sister in law who was like a true sister: Lucy Patterson Cox was devoted to them all. That devotion extended as well to her wider family on Martha’s Vineyard, the Island recovery community.
And now perhaps fittingly, the family room in the women’s building at Vineyard House, the Island’s only sober living community, will be named for her.
Ms. Patterson Cox, who lived year-round in West Tisbury, died in June after a seven-year battle with lung cancer. Two weeks ago her life was celebrated in a ceremony at the Agricultural Hall that was attended by hundreds.
Speaking to the Gazette by phone last week, Jenn Vogel, Vineyard House executive director, said Ms. Patterson Cox had served for years on the board of directors and played a key role in raising funds, especially for the women’s house. Much of the money, she said, went toward upgrading the basement level of the house into a family room.
“It has couches, a big screen television... It’s a place where families can join together and it really has been instrumental in providing a safe place for families, sometimes reuniting with their children for the first time since entering recovery,” Ms. Vogel said.
The Carol Potasnik Greenberg women’s recovery residence opened at Vineyard House in 2015, thanks in large part to a major gift from Joel Greenberg and Marcy Gringlas, seasonal residents of the Island. The current Vineyard House campus in Vineyard Haven opened ten years ago, although the first sober living facility dates back far longer, begun 27 years ago as a place for people returning to the Island in transition from recovery treatment.
Today Vineyard House provides safe, supportive housing for up to 19 men and six women in early stages of recovery from substance use disorders, Ms. Vogel said. But because the facility is also used for alcoholics anonymous, narcotics anonymous and other meetings and events, the people who come through actually number in the thousands.
Ms. Vogel called it a testament to the far-reaching scope of the Island recovery community.
“It’s like no other,” she said. “This community really provides for everyone .... We’ve had past residents come back to do work on our house, they provide transportation to and from meetings, they serve as sponsors, and we have a multitude of recovery coaches.”
Ms. Patterson Cox was one of the certified recovery coaches.
“She was very committed to helping others,” said Mark Jenkins, who is vice president of Vineyard House. “And what was notable was her commitment to helping those from all walks of life, especially those less fortunate than she was.”
Ms. Vogel agreed. “So many people said about Lucy, ‘She helped me so much,’ or ‘She helped my family so much.’ That’s really what Lucy stood for. She really stood here for support.”
A dedication of the Lucy Patterson Cox Family Room at Vineyard House is planned for the near future.
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