Oxford House champion Tony Perkins dies at 49

Tony Perkins, a cherished leader in the close-knit local community that has grown up around recovery from addiction, died Jan. 21 at age 49. The cause of death was a heart attack.

Perkins had long-standing heart issues and had suffered previous heart attacks, but his brother Michael said he had been losing weight and eating well lately, so this fatal final attack came as a shock.

“I thought he was on the path to recovery,” Michael Perkins said.

Tony Perkins’ day job was information technology specialist for the Washington Department of Transportation, and in recent years he worked for the Columbia River Crossing project. He was “a total family man” who was devoted to his four children, according to his friend Myrna Brown.

But he was most famous for spreading the word about beating drug and alcohol abuse, and in spearheading the growth of a network of drug-free, self-managed Oxford Houses in Washington and Oregon. Perkins himself lived in local Oxford Houses for most of the past 15 years, according to Brown, and even after he moved out he remained an important booster for the nationwide nonprofit agency.

“I had no idea how far-reaching his work was and how many people he helped,” said his mother, G. Laralyn Baker of Portland. But when she posted the sad news on Facebook and Oxford Houses picked up the posting, Baker said she started receiving condolences from hundreds of Oxford clients and friends all over the country.

Although Perkins was a quiet man who didn’t advertise himself much, friends and family said, he definitely had fire in the belly when it came to recovery, along with great technology skills to help him spread the word. His talents and drive propelled him up the ranks from humble Oxford House resident to state chairman of the organization for three years, and then to chairman of the Oxford House World Council. He built the central website and network that some 1,700 current Oxford Houses now use, Brown said, and he personally promoted the spread of Oxford Houses in the Pacific Northwest. All these endeavors were entirely voluntary.

“He was a man in long-term recovery, and he devoted his life to long-term recovery for himself and anyone else who needed it,” said another recovery movement friend, Patty Katz.

Perkins met his companion of the past few years, Melanie Wojciechowski, when he visited the local Oxford House where she was living to help with its computer, she said. Days later, he called her and asked for a date; a few years later, they moved in together. That was in Wojciechowski’s private home, not an Oxford House.

But Perkins’ involvement in Oxford never waned. Perkins used to make regular trips up to Larch Corrections Center to talk to the inmates “about leaving prison and going into recovery. He was a one-man corrections committee, because it was something he believed in,” Katz said.

He was a key organizer of events such as the annual Hands Across the Bridge, where people in recovery join hands and form a human chain along the length of the Interstate 5 Bridge, and Oxfest, a clean-and-sober rock music festival held immediately afterward in Esther Short Park. This year’s Oxfest, set for Sept. 14, will be “a tribute to Tony,” Katz said.

Perkins was a major rock fan, friends said, and one (slightly edited) post on his Facebook page underlines how kicking substance abuse never curtailed his love of good music and good times: “In a bar with open tab sucking down drinks from 7 p.m. til 1 a.m. Last time I spent that long in a bar, I spent over $400. Tonight, $10 … 3 energy drinks and a tip … man I may not sleep tonight but I won’t have the hangover to tend with tomorrow. Tonight was a nice break listening to an awesome band (Brother Elf) my son plays in.

“Yes, one can go into a bar and stay sober,” he concluded.

Perkins was the father of four — Matthew, 23, Sarah, 20, and twins Shayne and Luke, 15 — and he was always keen to ensure that Oxford outings and activities were inclusive and fun for children. That meant things such as picnics and campouts, sand castle contests and Christmas parties. One year, Brown remembered, he manned the camera and snapped photos of children on Santa’s lap — for hours and hours.

“What he did was help us reconcile families by making sure there were activities they could share,” said Brown. “He did so much for this community, and yet he was so quiet.”

A celebration of Perkins’ life will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Faith Center Xchange, 10702 N.E. 117th Ave. Hors d’oeuvres and a dessert potluck will follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, organizers are asking that Perkins fans consider a donation to Oxford Houses and Hands Across the Bridge, under “Tony Perkins Memorial” at any U.S. Bank branch. Call Katz at 360-903-4645 for more information.