For leukemia sufferers, woman killed by tree in Colts Neck was ‘a beacon of light’

Stacey Weathers, the woman killed on Route 34 in Colts Neck when a tree fell on her car, is being remembered as a charitable person whose death has shocked those who knew her.

Weathers was the longtime executive director of the New Jersey chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, where she raised $7 million annually, according to her LinkedIn page.

"Stacey has been part of the LLS family since 2004, and made enormous contributions to our mission. Stacey exemplified LLS," president and CEO Dr. Louis J. DeGennaro said in a statement. "She was tenacious, hard-working, dedicated and delightful to be around. And most of all, Stacey was dedicated to our mission."

LLS New Jersey board member Guy Adami called Weathers' death "heartbreaking" and credited her work as helping to keep thousands of families across the country together.

"Leukemia casts a long shadow across families and she's been a beacon of light. She lived for the society." He told New Jersey 101.5 the staff at the Cranford office's passion for their work came from Weathers. "This office is family and they are devasated."

"Her compassion, her commitment was second to none to people battling blood cancer," recalled John Hyland, former president of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which helped make the New Jersey chapter "one of the top performing chapters winning all kinds types of accolades and awards."

Hyland interviewed Weathers for the executive director position and recalled how he knew she was the right person to lead LLS from the very first time they met.

"She exceeded everything we ever expected," Hyland said. "She hit numbers and budgets every year and understood the business side. She ran it like a Fortune 500 company."

She was just as compassionate with patients, he said.

Hyland recalled how she took charge of his own battle with acute myeloid leukemia, the deadliest and most aggressive form of leukemia.

"She was instrumental in getting me access to the best doctors immediately and in 24 hours I was getting the treatment that I needed. Fortunately I was one of the survivors of AML," Hylan said.