The View Mourns Former Staffer, 39, Who Died from Ovarian Cancer — Leaving Behind Special-Needs Twins
ABC has lost one of its most loyal and beloved staffers, and the women of The View took a moment during Thursday’s show to honor her.
Lauren Brennan Anglero died at the age of 39 from ovarian cancer this week, which she was diagnosed with only months ago. The mother of two kicked off her 16-year career at ABC working on The View and worked as Barbara Walters‘ assistant for a time before moving on to work at several other shows on the network.
Lauren was described as an infectious presence with her warm smile and laugh. She is survived by her husband, Jerry Anglero, and two children, twins Aubrey and Mason, who were born four months premature and have special needs.
“We have a tough goodbye to say,” Whoopi Goldberg said on The View Thursday.
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“We want to mention the passing of a former staff member, Lauren Brennan Anglero, who worked here for many years. This is a very sad story,” Joy Behar said, before mentioning that Lauren had died after a battle with ovarian cancer. “She worked at ABC for 16 years, and her first job was at The View. She was only 39 years old.”
“She leaves behind her husband, Jerry, and two lovely twins,” Behar continued. “Our hearts go out to her family. It’s a very, very, sad story. A 39-year-old girl. And it was a short illness, and she just passed.”
“I didn’t know her, but everyone I’ve talked to said she had the most contagious laugh. When she walked in a room, you knew she was there,” Abby Huntsman chimed in. “Our love to her family.”
Goldberg used the moment to encourage others to get screened for cancer.
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“Make sure that you get yourself checked,” she said. “If you’re walking around today, make sure you check yourself. Make sure you’re doing fine.”
Lauren was also honored during the broadcast of Nightline on Wednesday night. It was said that her “smile warmed people’s hearts,” and a friend described her as “goodness and light rolled into one human being.”
Lauren “said ‘yes’ to everything thrown her way” while working on “nearly every show at the network,” and “was beloved by everyone, especially cherished by her colleagues at 20/20.”
Both a GoFundMe campaign and a Facebook fundraiser have been set up to raise money for Jerry and the twins.
The GoFundMe page says that Lauren died on Monday, October 21, just weeks before her 40th birthday.
“Lauren was the one person anyone could go to for a smile, a comforting word or for just that moment of joy when needed,” the page reads. “She gave and supported any and everyone in her family, community and co-workers at ABC.”
“So as we prepare to say to our ‘see you laters’ while laying her to rest we are asking that anyone who can help support in anyway to please do so,” it continues. “With everyone’s help we are hoping to ease the financial burden as her husband now has a long road ahead of him in raising his two babies on his own.”
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Little Aubrey and Mason were born “severely premature and who require special attention and medical care for the rest of their lives,” the page says.
As of Thursday, more than $6,500 had been raised out of a $100,000 goal. The Facebook fundraiser — which, by Thursday, had raised more than $26,500 out of a $30,000 goal — said that the money will “help for the husband to take much needed time to tend to his kids and pay his bills and to also put money away for his kids futures.”
As the Nightline tribute said, Aubrey and Mason, now 2½, “are her legacy, and their lives are a gift Lauren left for the world.”
On Facebook, Jerry wrote an emotional tribute to his wife, saying that he “can’t even imagine” life without her.
“Don’t know where to begin don’t know how I’m even writing this my heart is in a million pieces right now,” Jerry wrote in a Facebook post shared in the GoFundMe. “My wife, my rock, my sunshine, the love of my life, my sidekick, the mother of my children, but most of all my true best friend Lauren Brennan Anglero has passed on to a better place.”
“She lost her fight to cancer. God has gained another angel and do we know she was an angel here,” he continued. “Laur I can’t even imagine life without you but always know this I will not let you down with our babies. Bay I love you may you rest in peace.”
