Maura and I met at work in Boston 24 years ago, later settling in Abington where we built our family with our two boys, Craig (16) and Colin (14). Before kids, we traveled often—cruises, Ireland, England, Mexico—and once they arrived, we made countless memories in Disney, New Hampshire, Maine, and Cape Cod. Her friends became mine, and mine became hers.

Maura had a successful career in the financial services industry, dedicating over 25 years to her work with professionalism, integrity, and genuine care for the people around her. But her greatest happiness was always found in time spent with family and friends. She loved summers at Humarock Beach and the family cottage, skiing trips to New Hampshire, and going to concerts with friends. Most of all, she treasured being a mother, wife, daughter, and sister.

She was truly the kindest person I’ve ever known, and everyone who met her said the same. She loved to read and cheer on our boys at their games. Maura would help anyone in need and was always the first to step up for others. We had never heard of the Jolly Jump, but I know she would have wanted to be a part of it.

With a family history of cancer and a BRCA1 gene mutation, she underwent preventive surgeries years ago. But her cancer came from a rare ATM mutation, leading to an even rarer cancer of the duodenum.

Her illness began suddenly last Thanksgiving when a trip to urgent care resulted in the removal of her gall bladder. She spent all of December and January in Boston as they couldn’t find what was causing her inability to eat solid foods. It was later discovered there was an issue with her duodenum but they could not see anything on imaging. After making several attempts to biopsy the area, she became a case study for all Boston hospitals that meet regularly. Maura had lost a significant amount of weight and in order to eat food she underwent a stomach bypass surgery that was very successful.

She was diagnosed with cancer of the duodenum (very rare form of cancer) on January 30th 2025. On March 13th Maura bravely began rounds of chemotherapy but by August we learned the treatment had not worked. With the spread of her cancer spread and the inability to do any further surgeries, our focus shifted to keeping her comfortable.

Maura entered hospice in September, and we spent every moment we could by her side. She passed away peacefully on September 23rd, surrounded by love.

Maura was the heart of our family and a friend to all. We share her story to honor her memory, raise awareness of rare cancers, and support our family as we navigate life without her.

We’ve been surrounded by so much generosity from family, friends, and everyone in Abington, and my boys and I are deeply thankful. It’s a privilege to be part of the Jolly Jump fundraiser together with the Brodeur family.

~Eric Zimmerman