Rachel’s Story: Honoring Her Father by Helping Others

Rachel never expected pancreatic cancer to become part of her family’s story.

Her father, Roy, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March of 2015, and passed away from the disease just 10 months later. The diagnosis came as a shock to the family. Just two weeks earlier, Roy had been active and seemingly healthy, even shoveling snow. The week he was diagnosed, he was in New York on a business trip. He was 62 and still doing so many of the things he loved. “It just really caught us all off guard,” Rachel said.

At the time, Rachel was preparing for a trip to Thailand. She told her father she was considering canceling, but he insisted that she go. Roy loved to travel and shared that when he was her age, he had the opportunity to visit Asia but chose not to. He did not want Rachel to carry that same regret.

Even in the earliest days after his diagnosis, Rachel remembers Roy putting everyone else first. “He was a really selfless person,” she said. “He was more concerned about me and my life experience in that moment than even himself.”

When Rachel returned from Thailand, her family met with the team at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, where he began treatment. Rachel was grateful for the compassionate care he received, but what stands out most from that year is not only the treatment. It is the way her father lived through it.

A FATHER WHO KEPT GIVING

Roy was a fixer in every sense of the word. He worked in technology, helping develop information systems for healthcare organizations. He was also a master craftsman, skilled with his hands and meticulous in everything he built.

Rachel never saw him resent the time it took to help someone. He simply said yes. Even while facing pancreatic cancer, he continued to teach, mentor, love, and guide the people around him. “What I remember most about that whole year was my dad’s strength,” Rachel said.

THE STRENGTH OF A COMMUNITY

Roy spent his life showing up for others. When he was diagnosed, his family and friends showed up for him.

They helped around the house, drove him to Dana-Farber for chemotherapy, spent time with him, and supported Rachel and her mother in countless ways. That summer, Rachel’s parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary, surrounded by loved ones who came together to mark the occasion.

The support did not end when Roy passed away.

Ten years later, Rachel says those same friends and family members remain an active part of their lives. They continue to remember Roy, support Rachel and her mother, and honor the impact he had on their lives. “Your grief doesn’t end, even 10 years later,” Rachel said. “The support system gave us strength.”

TURNING GRIEF INTO SOMETHING MEANINGFUL

Roy passed away in January 2016. That spring, Rachel and her mother were introduced to the Lustgarten Foundation.

Roy’s colleagues and clients  cared deeply about him, not just as someone they worked with, but as a person. After he passed, they looked for a meaningful way to honor his memory. They suggested joining a Lustgarten Walk to raise money for pancreatic cancer research, and Rachel and her mom were in!

For Rachel and her family, the Walk gave them an outlet to channel their grief into something that reflected who her father was and the life he lived. “He loved being active. He loved helping others and fixing things,” Rachel said. “Walking or running to raise money for pancreatic cancer research was just the perfect way to remember him.”

For the first four years, Team Roy participated in the Westborough, MA Walk for Research. When COVID disrupted those plans, Rachel and her family began organizing their own walk closer to home in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Since then, the tradition has continued.

Over the years, Team Roy has participated in 11 walks and raised over $30K for pancreatic cancer research. Each year, family and friends come together in purple to walk around Lake Quannapowitt, before gathering at Rachel’s mother’s house afterward.

It is an occasion Roy would have loved: food, drinks, and the people he loved under one roof.

The tradition has also become a powerful way to see Roy’s legacy live on. Rachel’s son, Adam Roy, now participates in the walk. In fact, three children were named after Roy after he passed away. “That’s a life well spent,” Rachel said. “You know you’ve made an impact on other people’s lives when that happens.”

CARRYING ROY’S LEGACY FORWARD

For Rachel, supporting the Lustgarten Foundation is a way to remember her father while helping create a better future for other families. Roy’s experience with pancreatic cancer was quick and devastating – that is why funding and research matter so deeply to Rachel. She does not want other families to go through what hers did, and she is encouraged by recent progress. “Great strides are being made right now, and we don’t want to lose momentum on that,” Rachel said.

Team Roy is a way to turn their loss into something meaningful: raising funds, supporting research, and keeping Roy’s memory alive. They plan to keep walking every year in his honor.

Rachel also hopes other families facing pancreatic cancer know they are not alone. She encourages caregivers to accept support, ask for help, and find their own way to channel pain into something meaningful.

Because, for Rachel, illness is not what defines a person. It is the love they shared, the memories they created, the lives they touched, and the character they showed. That is Roy’s legacy, and it continues with every step Team Roy takes in his honor.