Cape Cod Community College to honor two pioneering women next week

Schatzberg to honor two Upper Cape women on June 9th

On Tuesday June 9, 2009, Cape Cod Community College joins with its Senior Advisory Committee in recognizing two Upper Cape residents for their outstanding contributions to family, community, and society; honoring them as “Pioneering Women” for 2009 during 4th annual event ceremonies in the Tilden Arts Center.

College President Kathleen Schatzberg will make the awards to Beverly Myers Bailey of Mashpee, founder of the Southeast Massachusetts Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children (and other victims of homicide); and Eleanor Grace of West Falmouth and Westford, MA, co-founder of The Brain Center of Mashpee, MA. 

While each woman’s efforts are clearly different from the other, each has acted with, “unselfish dedication, blazing a pathway and changing the world one person at a time,” as noted in the citation to be presented.

Beverly Bailey

Beverly Bailey transformed personal tragedy into hope and support for others, and continues to do so today. In March, 2002 Beverly’s youngest brother Michael, 47, was brutally murdered in Washington, DC. It is common for survivors of the victims of homicide to suffer post- traumatic stress, and many lose jobs, give up on relationships, forfeit close personal friendships, and “close down” in ways that jeopardize personal sustainability. She chose a different path turning her grief and pain into hope for many others by founding the Southeast Massachusetts Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children (SE MA POMC), now located within the Unitarian Universalist Church in Fairhaven, MA. Beverly meets monthly with a survivor support group there, bringing in therapists, grief counselors, victim’s advocates, and others who share information helpful to surviving family and friends of victims of homicide.

In the last 12 months she has testified in front of the Massachusetts Senate on victim’s rights legislation; she helped develop and was featured in a 3-part NPR series on murder in America; and she has presented in front of District Attorneys offices in several counties. Her daily schedule now includes travel around Barnstable, Plymouth and Bristol Counties, meeting with District Attorney staff and victim advocates, police departments, religious organizations, and others. Her chapter recently was awarded a $50,000 grant funded by the U.S Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) to further develop and grow chapter activities. She believes that state and county cutbacks in local funding for victim services will make the SE MA POMC chapter even more crucial in the months and years ahead and is pursuing an expansion plan that will make survivor support more readily available to underserved victims in high crime areas.

Eleanor Grace

The tragic loss of a her daughter Doreen Grace at age 21 to a viral brain infection, left Eleanor Grace angry and frustrated that no single facility existed at that time, dedicated to brain disease research. With great faith and commitment, Eleanor with her husband Dick were determined that they would use their tragedy to help others. After crisscrossing the country to talk to anyone who would listen about the importance of brain research, the medical community began to take note, and fundraising intensified.

The Doreen Grace Brain Center in Mashpee opened in 1987 on land donated by the New Seabury Corporation. The whole facility was entirely built with donated material thanks to the never ending efforts of Dick and Eleanor Grace. While doctors used the Brain Center to meet to share their knowledge and research, the Graces offered their assistance to lay people searching for help. No one was ever turned away.

Most unfortunately, devastating brain injury and disease continued to plague the couple, Eleanor's husband Dick was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2006 and died in January of 2007. Eleanor’s strength was tested again in October 2008, when she suffered a stroke. But, she is working her way back to recovery, determined to return to the Brain Center and continue her mission of helping others. She has spent the last 30 years working tirelessly, without fanfare, quietly bringing a dream to fruition.

Release courtesy of CCCC.