(Saratoga Springs, NY (see photos)
My mom, Julie Peacox, was a brilliant, tough, and awesome woman who died 20 years ago this December (obituary).
Julie was a huge supporter of education and continuing learning.
Born into the Depression just 2 months after the crash of ’29, to a poor working class and dysfunctional family, she had a difficult childhood. But she found refuge and recognition in school and excelled.
She had no support network or economic resources and there was little opportunity for a smart ambitious working class woman from the Washington Irving HS Class of ’47, so she was forced to work to survive after HS graduation.
She began her career as a secretary, what today we might call an Executive Assistant, at Schenley Industries Empire State Building Headquarters in NYC.
As a mom, Julie constantly stressed educational excellence to us kids. She led by example.
She was a voracious reader and made efforts to discuss and explore ideas with her kids. Our house was full of books, magazines, and classical music and opera (the later, which we hated, was radio broadcast early on Sunday mornings). We had a NY Times daily home delivery. In hard economic times, the electric and gas might get turned off, even the milkman sometimes stopped delivery, but the NY Times bill got paid!
Julie was a school advocate and leader in the Tarrytown PTA, then a longtime School Board member, and President of the Tarrytown School Board for many years. She served on the Westchester County BOCES Board (Special education) and often went to Albany to testify on education legislation. NY Gov. Mario Cuomo named her to a State Task Force seeking re-use plans for the closed GM auto plant.
She was so proud to finally earn her Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Empire State College, at around age 60, after perhaps a decade of night classes and correspondence courses at several local colleges and the SUNY downstate (Westchester County) campus.
She did this academic work while working full time running her own court reporters agency, often with 2 or 3 jobs, sometimes including typing work to make ends meet.
Her efforts had a huge impact on the educational opportunities of thousands of kids who went through the Tarrytown School system, as well as on her own 3 kids, all of whom excelled academically and went on to earn college degrees (before she did!) and put their own kids through college (and beyond).
Julie had a very tough life. She struggled and worked hard. She cared for others. She got involved as an advocate, activist, and professional. She got a lot done. She did her best.