After our son Jeffrey died in June, Coleen and I wanted to honor him in a way that would make him proud. So we reached out to The Divided Sky Foundation. Here’s why:

Jeffrey took on the disease of addiction every day for about 17 years and eventually died from it on Father’s Day 2024. But he was so much more than someone in recovery. (None of us is our “diagnosis.”)

Jeffrey brought so much happiness to those who knew him. He loved his family and knew we loved him. He had so many friends. He also found true joy in the music of Trey and Phish. As many here will know, Trey became clean and sober in 2007 and has since become a fierce advocate for the drug court program that helped save his life. He founded Divided Sky to help others find sobriety and even hired his own drug court caseworker Melanie Gulde to help run it. Last year, the Divided Sky Residential Recovery Program opened in Ludlow, VT. When we listed Divided Sky in Jeffrey’s obituary as one of the options for donations in his memory we did not know that so many family, friends and strangers would respond so generously. Nor did we know that Melanie would become such a dear friend and offer us so much support as we grieved. But there was more. We were blown away when Trey Anastasio sent our family a handwritten letter offering condolences and reassuring us that we would benefit from the love of the Phish community. He was right.

Then came our visit to Bethel Woods last August. We drove in torrential rain to meet Melanie for lunch before our first Phish show. We learned a lot about the work Divided Sky is doing. Then she asked would we like to attend sound check. Of course. It was just the three of us and the band. We felt as close to our son as we had since the day he died. How he would have loved to experience what his mom and dad were taking in.

But the best was yet to come. Sound check ends and Trey walks off the stage and comes straight to us. He hugged us. We cried a bit. And spent the next 45 minutes talking about Jeffrey, addiction, recovery, and the joy of music that we all share. Trey was Jeffrey’s musical hero and now he is ours. He never made us feel rushed. He was completely present and sincere. And so kind.

Trey reminded us of something we already knew… but it was good to hear. People in recovery aren’t bad people trying to be good. They are sick people trying to get well. Coleen and I are devoted to supporting those good people in any way we can. And yes, we are now part of The Divided Sky family, ready to offer our time, talent and treasure. Selfishly… it helps us feel connected to the young man we miss so much.

If it’s in your heart and in your budget, please consider supporting dividedsky.org in Jeffrey Emblidge’s memory, or in memory of someone close to you.

If you read this far, wow! We’re grateful.

Jeffrey’s Favorite Jam Bands

Phish, Trey Anastasio Band, Billy Strings, Goose, The Grateful Dead.

Memorable Concerts or Festivals

Phish shows at MSG, Bonnaroo, Hollywood Bowl. Many more.

*shared by Jeffrey’s father, Doug Emblidge