Marguerite Phelps Touched the Lives of Others

Marguerite Phelps (Chicago Tribune)

The holidays are, among other things, a time to remember people who may not be with us any more - especially those people who touched the lives of others. People who work in the field of recovery are some of the most selfless and compassionate, never hesitating to help others. Marguerite Phelps was truly one of those people!

Marguerite Phelps, a longtime counselor for those with drug and alcohol addictions, passed away this year at the age of 88, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Ms. Phelps pioneered drug and alcohol treatment programs at Highland Park Hospital and the Institute for Recovery. She was also a detox specialist and an interventionist, conducting countless interventions over the years, according to the article.

"She went wherever she was needed," said her daughter, Cecile Friedman. "She'd drive to a seedy hotel near O'Hare to rescue a client that had relapsed and ended up there. She'd get calls from hospitals during the night and rush to their emergency rooms to hold the hand of a client waiting to be admitted."

"We'd walk around town and people would come up to me and say, 'Your mother saved my life.'"

Phelps spent her entire adult life helping others. She joined the Cadet Nurse Corps and became a registered nurse during World War II. She worked as a nurse into the `80s until she became a certified addictions counselor and a detox and relapse prevention specialist. She was given recognition from major treatment centers, such as Hazelden and the Betty Ford Center.

Phelps is survived by three daughters, three sons, 20 grandchildren, and a great grandchild.