The Boston Celtics family doesn’t only have player superstars. The defending Champs are massively represented by an array of employees who relentlessly do their jobs behind the curtain. One of them was Heather Walker, former Vice President of Public Relations for the Celtics. Known for her kind-hearted and lovable personality, Walker lit up any room she walked into!

While she didn’t have a number on her back to hang on the rafters in TD Garden, she was one of the Celtics’ brightest stars. She was honored as one of the “Heroes Among Us”, alongside Kevin Garnett’s jersey retirement on the same day!

Anyone who’s met Walker will tell you that her title of Vice President of Public Relations might’ve just been a formality. During her time with the Celts, her duties included everything from brand partnerships to ensuring players’ families were taken care of during game days, and even organizing bonding events. “I have a weekly meeting of the senior staff in the organization,” said Celtics president Rich Gotham. “And we go around the horn about what everyone has on their plate. Heather will come in with a huge binder and 50 things she’s got up in the air! It’s like, ‘How is she doing this?”

That’s how good Heather Walker was. She truly was the backbone of the organization. Let’s get to know more about her.

What happened to Heather Walker, the late Boston Celtics executive who died in 2023?

Heather Walker was the heart and soul of the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately, the Celtics’ Vice President of Public Relations lost her long-fought battle with brain cancer in 2023. She was just 52 years old when she passed away. Furthermore, it was in July 2021, when Walker had been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer called ‘glioblastoma’. Heather, even after she was diagnosed, put everyone ahead of herself and worked tirelessly to raise awareness and funding for the survivors of the disease.

A testament to this was her meeting with then-President Joe Biden in 2022. The former POTUS and Walker discussed his “cancer moonshot” plans. The government plans to cut cancer deaths in half in the next 25 years. Glioblastoma is the same brain cancer that took his son Beau’s life.

Upon Heather’s unfortunate passing, the Celtics released a heartfelt statement for their beloved employee. “A boundlessly charismatic, giving, and selfless soul,” adding “every room she entered was brighter for her presence.” They described how strong of a person she was and how many lives Walker impacted through her fight with the disease.

Who was Heather Walker married to? Who were her daughters?

Heather Walker was married to her lovely husband, Stephen Walker. She and Stephen are parents to their beautiful daughters, Taylor and Samantha Walker. Heather’s greatest joy was her family.

She was the happiest around her family and shared numerous moments at their homes in Maine and New Hampshire. When the Celtics honored her legacy by naming their Media Center after her, Heather’s family, including her husband, two daughters, mother Barbara, and her brother Roger, were all present to witness the beautiful moment.

“To know that she’s no longer with us is extremely sad, but for her to get the media center here in the building named after her, it’s great for her legacy and her family to be able to be proud about something,” said Jaylen Brown, who had a closely knit relationship with Heather.

What movement did Heather Walker start to help cancer patients?

Heather Walker did not just battle with cancer, she helped raise awareness for the disease and even funding for survivors. Moreover, even before she was diagnosed, she was working hard for the cause. How? Well, a long time ago, a young Heather was motivated to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and kayaked from Boston Harbor to Provincetown!

“My dad died of cancer—leukemia—when I was 16 and he was 40. It was terrible, and I said, ‘We have to do something,” said Heather. Over the years, she helped raise thousands of dollars for the cause. She even launched her own campaign during her battle with cancer, “Move 4 Heather” which went on to be massively successful. In fact, so much so, that her campaign raised a massive $650,000 for cancer research! A gift from Heather Walker and her supporters to the field of research.

When did Heather Walker find out she had brain cancer?

Ima Udoka was named the head coach of the Boston Celtics in June 2021. Soon after his first press conference, Heather Walker experienced a sudden strange sensation. She was driving and, suddenly, she wasn’t able to see her right arm on the steering wheel. Although Walker could move her arm and feel it, it was not there in her path of vision.

Concerned by this, she decided to consult a doctor, who suggested that it might’ve been a reaction to stress. However, while Heather was at her yard, a blinding headache nearly leveled her. Her mother quickly drove her to the hospital, where a scan revealed a tumor that was about the size of a grapefruit. On her brain. Although Heather underwent a successful surgery, it wasn’t meant to be for her, as she later succumbed to the same illness.

As a matter of fact, you really have accomplished a lot in your career, when a huge NBA franchise like the Boston Celtics posts, “Our hearts and sympathy are with Heather’s loving family and friends, whom she cherished. She will remain part of our fabric for as long as the Celtics go on.”

Heather Walker’s legacy lives on. Rest in Peace.