OBITUARY: Danvers Mom Rebecca Jensen Loses Battle to Cancer at Age 47

[The following obituary is courtesy of Mackey Funeral Home.]

Rebecca Ardiff Jensen, 47
August 30, 1966 – December 31, 2013

Rebecca (Becky) Ardiff Jensen of Danvers passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family and friends on December 31, 2013 at the Kaplan Family Hospice House after a courageous three-and-a-half-year battle with cancer.

Becky was the proud mother of eight-year-old Heather Elizabeth Jensen, whom she loved more than anything in this world. Becky also is survived by her parents Ralph and Martha Ardiff of Danvers; twin sister Eliza Daly, brother-in-law Paul Daly, nephews Trevor Daly and Zachary Daly, niece Ava Daly of Danvers; fiance’ Paul Richard of Medfield; uncle Hal Burns of California; cousins Jessica Burns of Arizona and Nina Shearer of Maryland; and many close friends.

Becky was born and grew up in Danvers. During her school years, she was well known as an outstanding gymnast on Don Lothrop’s Yellow Jackets team and the Danvers High School gymnastics team. Becky, a 1984 graduate of Danvers High School, also was named as a Boston Globe All-Star Gymnast. She also studied at Amherst College, where she graduated in 1988.

After college, Becky worked in the insurance industry for 10 years before creating a popular website “Chicks On Football” that chronicled NFL happenings from a female perspective in a fun and witty way.

She moved to the Los Angeles area where she expanded the website and became a contributing writer for many sports media outlets including Fox Sports. While in California, Becky found her passion for yoga. She eventually became a certified yoga instructor and taught yoga at studios in New York and Massachusetts.

Becky and Heather moved back to Massachusetts after she was diagnosed with cancer. She sought treatment at Dana-Farber Institute and Tom Tam’s Tong Ren, a holistic approach to healing. She fought hard, stayed positive and was determined to raise her daughter into adulthood. As a result of this experience, Becky wanted to help others in their fight against cancer.

She raised thousands of dollars for the Pan Mass Challenge, becoming a PMC Heavy Hitter, and joined the staff of The Julie Fund for Women’s Cancers, a nonprofit that raises funds for women’s cancer research, supports non-medical expenses of patients and their families, and provides education and awareness. The Julie Fund became very important to Becky, providing her an opportunity to give back and raise awareness.

Becky always lived her life with positivity, determination and passion. Regardless of her challenges, she inspired everybody who knew her and was always surrounded by family and close friends, who adored her and will miss her dearly. All who knew her agree that though cancer finally took her body, her spirit continually shone brightly and is a permanent inspiration.

Arrangements:

Visiting hours will be held at Mackey Funeral Home at 22 Conant Street in Danvers on Friday, January 3, 2014 from 2 to 7 p.m. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 4, 2014 at 11 a.m. at Maple Street Congregational Church in Danvers.