Their son died of an overdose. Now, these Duxbury parents want to help others.

The Patriot Ledger - 12/15/2021

DUXBURY - Parker Foley lived his life "out loud."

As a large man standing more than 6 feet tall who liked to work out, he could be physically intimidating, with a booming voice to match, his mother, Melissa Foley, of Duxbury, said.

"But his family knew him as a loving, silly kid," she said.

He was deeply interested in social justice issues and refused to turn a blind eye to injustices and abuses, Joe Foley, his dad, said.

It's been more than a year since Parker Foley died of an overdose in October 2020. Since then, his family has spent countless hours discussing how to honor him. Parker's friends and family members wanted to do something to honor his memory, Joe Foley said, but they weren't sure where to start.

Joe and Melissa Foley first had to weather the shock of their son's death along with accusations of sexual abuse against his middle school gym teacher. The family filed a lawsuit at the end of March alleging middle school gym teacher John Blake raped the boy in 2006. His parents say Blake's abuse fueled Foley's drug addiction into adulthood.

Blake has not been criminally charged but was fired by Duxbury schools earlier this year. In May, Blake filled a counterclaim against Parker Foley's parents and said they engaged in a campaign of "character assassination" against him and the Duxbury school district. He dropped the lawsuit one month later.

Joe Foley said neither he nor his wife can walk down the street without people stopping them to say they're sorry about their son's death or to share their own experiences with drugs or sexual abuse.

As they worked through a sea of heavy emotions, Joe and Melissa Foley kept the idea of doing something for their son in mind.

They don't have an exact plan, but they do have the genesis of an idea - raising money to help people from Duxbury and surrounding communities who are struggling - and they have the support of their church, St. John the Evangelist Episcopal.

The Rev. Daniel Dice, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, said whatever the memorial program becomes, he wants it to help combat the stigma attached to mental illness, drug abuse and sexual abuse, which are often linked, as they were for Parker Foley.

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"There are a lot of options at present, allowing us to organize," the Rev. Dice said. "Others have done similar work. There's no need to reinvent the wheel."

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The Foleys were inspired, in part, to start their memorial fund after hearing that a church in Dartmouth had created a secular nonprofit called The Bridge: A Center for Hope and Healing.

The Foleys said the counseling center showed them that there is a way to identify need and offer appropriate services.

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The Rev. Scott Ciosek, the executive director of The Bridge, said there's a critical need for services on the South Coast.

"We have an opioid epidemic with people dying in the streets and very little support, and then I was hearing a lot about people who can't get services," he said.

The Rev. Ciosek, the pastor at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, said people reported waiting six to eight months for a therapist.

"We thought, 'We can fill a need, fill a void,'" he said.

They started rehabbing an old house on his church's property, made it habitable and began holding grief support groups.

"The response was just incredible," the Rev. Ciosek said. "All the groups completely filled up."

The nonprofit, incorporated separately from the church, hired psychotherapists and now has a growing staff of seven.

"What I like about the Foleys' story, is right now, they're in the dream stage and it's going to take off," he said. "They're doing the right thing, caring for people, wanting to help people through really a difficult time of their lives."

The Parker Foley Memorial Fund is being run through the St. John the Evangelist Church. Donations can be made to the church with a note that the money is for the fund. Checks can be sent to: PO Box 2893, Duxbury, MA 02331.

The Rev. Dice is handling the donations and requests for help. He can be reached at rector@stjohnsduxbury.org.

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July 17, 2021: Investigation: Duxbury gym teacher John Blake denied knowing alleged rape victim, having affair

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June 22, 2021: Former Duxbury gym teacher withdraws counterclaim against parents of alleged rape victim

June 10, 2021: Duxbury gym teacher accused of rape files counterclaim against parents who sued

June 7, 2021: Duxbury superintendent headed to North Attleboro with 2 years left on contract

April 29, 2021: Duxbury denies liability for middle school gym teacher accused of raping student

April 21, 2021: Duxbury middle school teacher rape lawsuit removed to federal court

April 6, 2021: Duxbury fires gym teacher accused of raping middle school student

April 1, 2021: Duxbury gym teacher accused of rape previously investigated for 'questionable behavior'

March 31, 2021: Parents of deceased former Duxbury Middle School student accuse gym teacher of rape

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Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@patriotledger.com.