Nicole Hazen, the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen, died Thursday due to complications related to her fight with glioblastoma, a type of cancer.
She was 45.
“Nicole lived her life and loved her family with fierceness and devotion,” the Hazen family said through the team. “She spent every day in the service of others as a mother, wife and educator advocating for goodness. From our family, we remain forever grateful for the love, support and random acts of kindness bestowed upon us for the last two years and four months.
“We would not have been able to walk down this road, with her, without the help and generosity of our community. 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.”
Nicole Hazen is survived by Mike Hazen and their four sons: Charlie, John, Teddy and Sam.
Mike Hazen announced a leave of absence in June 2021 to take many of the demands of his job off his plate. He said Nicole Hazen had been fighting the glioblastoma since the prior May.
“Nicole was a beloved member of the D-backs’ family, and we are saddened by her passing,” managing general partner Ken Kendrick and CEO and president Derrick Hall said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Mike, Charlie, John, Teddy, Sam and their entire extended family.
“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.”