The Boston Red Sox family has suffered another devastating loss.
Stacy Wakefield, the wife of late pitcher Tim Wakefield, died Feb. 28, the Major League Baseball team confirmed. She was 53.
Her death comes less than five months after her husband died from brain cancer at age 57.
"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," read a family statement shared by the Red Sox on social media. "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."
The post, which included a photo of Tim and Stacy together, continued, "We will remember Stacy as a strong, loving, thoughtful and kind person, who was as down-to-earth as they come. 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 statement did not specify the cause of Stacy's death but confirmed she had been fighting a health battle. "We would like to thank all of Stacy's doctors, nurses and caretakers who helped her from diagnosis to today," it read. "We are eternally grateful for your unmatched care and support."
Stacy is survived by her and Tim's son Trevor Wakefield, 19, and daughter Brianna Wakefield, 17.
Tim, a famed knuckleballer who won two World Series with the Red Sox, died last October, weeks after he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Both Tim and Stacy were also known for their charity work, including with the Red Sox Foundation, of which the retired MLB star served as an honorary chairman, the Jimmy Fund benefitting Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Wakefield's Warriors, which allows children treated at the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Boston to meet Red Sox players and watch their batting practices at Fenway Park.
After Stacy's passing, the organization paid a heartfelt tribute to the couple.
"We are so grateful to have been given the opportunity to spend time with Stacy and Tim over the years," the hospital's president Joseph Mitchell said in a statement to local outlet WCVB-TV, "and our thoughts are with their children and families at this time."