Nicole Hazen, the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen, has died from a form of brain cancer, the team said Thursday. She was 45.
The team said she died from glioblastoma. She was diagnosed in July 2020.
“Nicole lived her life and loved her family with fierceness and devotion,” the Hazen family said in a statement released by the Diamondbacks on Thursday. “She spent every day in the service of others as a mother, wife and educator advocating for goodness.
“… 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.”
Mike Hazen, who became general manager of the Diamondbacks in 2016, took a leave of absence from the team in 2021 to spend time with his family. He has still been involved in the day-to-day operations of the team.
The couple has four sons.
“Nicole will be remembered for her vibrance, kindness, and a beautiful smile that could light up a room,” the Diamondbacks said in a statement. “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.”