BOSTON — Stacy Wakefield, the widow of former Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, died from cancer on Wednesday.
"It is with deep sadness that we share that our beloved mother, daughter, sister, niece, and aunt, Stacy, passed away today at her home in Massachusetts," Wakefield's family said in a statement issued by the Red Sox Wednesday. "She was surrounded by her family and dear friends, as well as her wonderful caretakers and nurses. The loss is unimaginable, especially in the wake of losing Tim just under five months ago. Our hearts are beyond broken."
Stacy and Tim were married from 2002 up until Tim's death at 57 from brain cancer in October last year. Stacy was 53, according to online records.
Stacy and Tim are survived by their children, Trevor and Brianna.
The Wakefields were very active in the Red Sox' charities. Tim was an eight-time nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, which goes to a ballplayer for exemplary sportsmanship and community involvement, and won it in 2010.
"We will remember Stacy as a strong, loving, thoughtful and kind person, who was as down-to-earth as they come," the family's statement read. "We feel so lucky to have had her in our lives, and we take comfort in the fact that she will be reunited with Tim, the love of her life."
The family mentioned a diagnosis but did not provide a cause of death. In September, Tim's former Red Sox teammate Curt Schilling said on a podcast both of the Wakefields had been diagnosed with cancer. Schilling said Tim had brain cancer and Stacy had pancreatic cancer. The news came with an outpouring of support for the Wakefields and criticism for Schilling disclosing the matter without their permission.
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