VIRGINIA BEACH — As Tami Cabacoy’s extended family admired the dark wood and quartz counters in the common areas of the Jones & Cabacoy Veterans Care Center, she stood back and let them explore.
The tour after the center’s grand opening ceremony Friday wasn’t her first visit to the building that bears the name of her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Christopher F. Cabacoy, who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010.
About a year ago, Tami said she let her curiosity get the best of her and drove over. She explained who she was, and construction staff let her in.
“I took a little tour by myself,” she said, adding that the residential rooms weren’t finished at the time, but many of the common areas were nearly complete.
Now, six years after its original groundbreaking ceremony, Virginia’s third state veterans’ care center finally opened.
A change in federal design standards and more than $30 million in federal funding led to substantial delays, but resulted in a larger facility better customized to residents’ needs, according to local and state officials.
Along with Cabacoy, the building is also named for Air Force Col. William A. Jones III — a World War II, Korea and Vietnam veteran who died in a plane crash in 1969 about a year after returning from the front.
Jones’ daughter, Anne Gilfillian, and Tami Cabacoy spoke at the ceremony, which closed with remarks from Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
“It is a building that reflects our commitment to serve those who serve us,” Youngkin said.
Virginia Beach donated the roughly 25-acre property, and the construction cost in state and federal funds was estimated at around $60 million in 2018. An updated final cost was not immediately available.
The building at 2641 Nimmo Parkway has one resident, though staff expect that number to grow quickly. So far, 60 of a projected 200 staff members have been hired — the minimum needed to open for services.
Its 128 beds are arranged in eight 16-resident “neighborhoods,” mixed in with indoor and outdoor common areas, occupational therapy space and an in-house pharmacy, according to staff members who gave tours. It will also boast a chapel, a barber and a beautician.
The center is equipped for short-term rehabilitative care, which means a stay of up to 100 days, and long-term care, including a secure memory care unit.
Tami Cabacoy said she’s proud her husband’s legacy will be one of healing and hopes that his famous sense of humor will be reflected in the quality of life the center will create for its residents.
“If there’s one thing that Sgt. Cabacoy taught us, it’s that even in the toughest of battles, a good laugh can be the most potent ammunition,” she said. “Welcome to a place that will not just mend wounds, but also bring back those laughter-filled moments that make life worth living.”
Katrina Dix, 757-222-5155, katrina.dix@virginiamedia.com
