Remembering our dear friend Pat Fox
Our dear friend and colleague Pat Fox died on July 4th after a four-year, hard-fought battle with cancer. All of us at IREC are heartbroken. Pat’s illness took her through many ups and downs. When her news was good, we cheered. When it wasn’t, we cried.
Pat joined IREC in 2009 and soon after, took the helm of the Credentialing Program. Laure-Jeanne Davignon writes, Pat’s kind and steadfast leadership, thoughtful and systematic approach to addressing challenges and courage in the face of uncertainty have had a profound and lasting impact on the Credentialing team.
Pat’s imprint went far beyond IREC. Josh Olsen with the U.S. Department of Energy, says, Pat was one of the highlights of my working life. We can all be grateful to have received such a lesson in grace through the privilege of knowing and working with her. She was one of the good ones and the world is a better place for having had her.
And, Jen Somers, formerly with U.S. DOE, writes, Pat was a wonderful friend and colleague and brought life to everything that she did. Pat is the reason why we got momentum for energy efficiency credentialing and the Weatherization Assistance Program will be forever indebted to her. Her grace and her joyful presence will be dearly missed.
Pat taught us the meaning of courage. Even when the news was bad, her quick smile and wonderful humor never waned.
IREC’s Ruth Fein says, I think of the word ‘bright’ when I think of Pat – for her outlook, her smarts, her ability to brighten a room and the work and lives of those around her.
And Sarah White, formerly with the Center on Wisconsin Strategy adds, Here’s to Pat’s humor, vision, and energy and to IREC for offering her a channel to sail through, bringing all that light to our good fight.
IREC’s Joe Sarubbi, says what we are all feeling: I will always remember Pat’s infectious smile and enthusiasm; her zest for life, and her can-do attitude! Pat taught me a lot about courage. With the hardships she faced over the last few years, Pat never felt sorry for herself. Instead, Pat saw each new obstacle as a challenge and fought hard to overcome it. She was a fighter, and I’m glad she was on the IREC Team. As a co-worker, she was the type of person you could count on and who would always have your back. We are all better people for knowing Pat. I know I am.
We will deeply miss Pat’s leadership and laughter. We are richer for knowing and working with her. Her legacy continues and we are grateful for all that she brought us.
