Nicole Hazen, the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen, died Thursday of complications from cancer. She was 45.
She had been fighting glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, for more than two years.
"Nicole lived her life and loved her family with fierceness and devotion," the Hazen family said in a statement. "Glioblastoma slowly took her capacity to speak, walk, talk and lead but never took her capacity to love her children, family and friends. We are lost without her but will carry the torch of her unyielding empathy for everyone forward, from this day onward."
The Diamondbacks also remembered her in a team statement.
"Nicole was a beloved member of the D-backs' family, and we are saddened by her passing," the team said. "Nicole will be remembered for her vibrance, kindness, and a beautiful smile that could light up a room. Her fighting spirit was evident in every step of her courageous journey and in her efforts to make an impact on research and treatment, while providing future hope to those who receive a similar diagnosis. She will forever be remembered and honored."
She is survived by her husband and their four sons: Charlie, John, Teddy and Sam.
Mike Hazen took a leave of absence in June 2021 to care for his wife. Last September, the team launched the Nicole Hazen Fund for Hope to raise money for the treatment of brain cancer.
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