The community, however, is hoping to make it a little brighter.

Jennifer Daly, 48, a Boxford, MA native who has been living in Fair Haven, NJ, died at home on Nov. 23 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

A GoFundMe for her sons, Will, 7, and Trevor, 6, along with husband, Matt, had raised more than $82,000 as of Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Jen was a standout soccer player having been a member of the Masconomet Regional High School team, her obituary says. She won a national championship with the Boston Bolts, and went on to play "stifling defensive" for Cornell University — earning multiple All-Ivy honors, the obit says.

Jen was fluent in Spanish and went on to earn her MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business. She survived 9/11 while working for Marsh at the World Trade Center.

Friends organized this GoFundMe to support the Daly family and wrote, "This past May, Jennifer Daly was suddenly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Young, vibrant, at the height of her career; and the loving mother of two small boys, her diagnosis was beyond devastating. Jen spent the last six months battling her cancer and passed away right before Thanksgiving."

Click here to contribute to the GoFundMe. 

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