Today, Cottrell's admirers are grieving her death in an automobile accident Wednesday as she was driving to Logan to meet with families wanting to know how to cope with mentally ill relatives.

Cottrell, executive director of the Utah chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), was 58.

Vicki Short recalled her friend and mentor Thursday with a story: When her bipolar son was 13 years old, the only future she could envision for him was death. "I would actually plan his funeral in my head," Short said.

Five years later, Short sees her son managing his mental illness and living a normal life. "Part of that is because of Vicki," Short said.

Cottrell found her calling after helping her own daughter emerge from years of schizophrenia that isolated both of them in a time when few knew how to offer support. Her other children take solace in the comfort their mother gave to countless others over the years.

"There's a lot of peace and comfort in knowing the lives she touched," said Jim Cottrell, one of six siblings. "She didn't have any regrets."

Nor did she ever seem to tire. Cottrell was a fixture at the state Capitol, in houses of worship, police stations, jails, courtrooms, public schools and living rooms. From visiting mentally ill prison inmates to chatting about funding, stereotypes and needs of families with the governor, Cottrell never changed, said Kim Haws, a colleague at NAMI-Utah.

"What you saw was always Vicki," Haws said.

Those who knew Cottrell well say she changed thousands of lives over the years.

"The key point for Vicki was the families," said Don Muller, a member of the NAMI-Utah Board of Directors. "The mothers and fathers, she believed their voices should be heard."

Thursday, the NAMI offices in Salt Lake City were flooded with calls - from the governor's office to families like the Shorts - responding to news of her death.

At about 5 p.m. Wednesday, Cottrell's northbound Jeep Cherokee spun across snow and slush and into oncoming traffic on Highway 89-91 in Sardine Canyon, between Logan and Brigham City.

Her car was broadsided by a southbound sport utility vehicle, said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Rick Mayo. The driver of the other car was uninjured but a passenger was treated for eight broken ribs.

"This is so huge," said Janina Chilton, a spokeswoman for the state's Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. "She was everywhere and did everything."

Cottrell changed the way people thought about mental illnesses.

"Her efforts changed a lot of opinions," said Leonard Blackham, a former lawmaker who sponsored legislation that allowed the state to involuntarily commit mentally ill people considered to pose a substantial threat to themselves and others. It also gave those people's families much more say in the decision.

The law came about after the death of Susan Gall, whose grown son killed her in a delusional episode. Gall, a close friend of Cottrell's, had tried without success to get her son help.

Without Cottrell's work with a legislative task force and the 2003 Legislature, the bill would never have passed, Blackham said.

"She was very critical and her organization was very critical in filling a gap of services in our community," said Simarjit Gill, the Salt Lake City prosecutor.

Those left at NAMI say Cottrell's example will not be forgotten.

"We have to keep going," said Gigi Arrington, chairwoman of NAMI-Utah's Board of Directors. "We have to."

The NAMI board appointed Sherri Wittwer as interim director.

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Tribune reporter Lisa Rosetta contributed to this report.