Sean Charles Wilcoxson

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Sean Charles Wilcoxson, a man with a huge heart and spirit, died on Sept. 11 as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident that occurred on August 11 in Texas. He was 29.

Sean was born on Martha’s Vineyard on March 11, 1987. After graduating from the Edgartown School, he attended the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and graduated in 2005. Sean then began classes at BCC to major in communications, where he found his niche on the college radio station and went on to write for the school’s newspaper; it was then that his love for writing and journalism flourished. Sean was a natural writer, talented from an early age, but he really thrived when he discovered new ways to share his talent.

Whether it was reporting on a current event or sharing a rhyming rant on Facebook, words seemed to flow so easily through him. In recent years, he mainly wrote pieces for his online magazine, And So It Goes, and Rock Bottom Magazine, bringing light and attention to the addiction of others, as well as his own.

Besides writing, one of Sean’s greatest passions was snowboarding. There were many trips to the White Mountains and especially Sunday River, but he was happiest and really thought he was in heaven snowboarding the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming.

Sean met his life partner, Jim McManus, in November 2014, and eventually joined him in San Antonio, Texas. Together they loved to travel, taking many trips. A couple of their favorite adventures were their travels to Panama and Greece. Sean and Jim married in July 2015. While in Texas, Sean continued to write and to reach out to others.

Most of us know Sean battled addiction his entire life, with some periods of sobriety. We always hoped he would return to a program of recovery, but he kept searching for another way to overcome the powerlessness of addiction. Sean was a fighter, never giving up on himself just as his spouse, his family, and his friends who knew and loved him never gave up on him. He found periods of peace and clarity, but even though he was a strong fighter, those periods would only last so long. Sean had such a huge heart and an even bigger spirit, leaving all who truly knew him better for knowing him. He definitely believed that the power of a smile, a hug, or a kind word could go a long way.

Sean is survived by his husband Jim McManus of San Antonio, Texas; his parents Robert and Celeste Wilcoxson of Edgartown; sister Jessie Wilcoxson of Boston; grandparents Douglas and Lish Wilcoxson of Fort Pierce, Fla., and Richard and Elaine Lowell of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; and many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A memorial service will be held on Oct. 22 at the United Methodist Church in Oak Bluffs at 11 am. Contributions in his memory may be made to Martha’s Vineyard Community Services Recovery Coaching Program, 111 Edgartown Road, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.