08/12/2026
Today, I am heartbroken.
Remembering Greg Tufaro
Some people come into your life for a season. Others leave a mark that stays with you forever. Greg Tufaro was one of those people.
Greg and I shared a friendship that went far beyond the usual. We became connected by our love of sports, our work in the community, and eventually by something neither of us ever wanted to have in common, cancer. Specifically, Multiple Myeloma.
Our battles were different, but in many ways, we understood each other in a way that few others could. We knew the uncertainty, the treatments, the exhaustion, the setbacks and, the pain, most importantly, the determination it took to keep moving forward. We weren't simply fighting a disease. We were fighting to continue living the lives we loved and to make a difference while we were here.
Through it all, Greg remained Greg — passionate, caring, funny, determined and deeply committed to the people and causes that mattered to him.
One of those causes was the Marisa Tufaro Foundation. I was honored to be able to help Greg and his wife Cyndi with the foundation and its mission. But the truth is, I probably received far more from that experience than I ever gave.
Greg appreciated my involvement, and he made sure I knew it. Our friendship grew from there. He often asked me why I wouldn't charge them for whatever award or service I was providing. I said " I want whatever money you would spend on awards to be applied back to the Foundation." I don't think he ever fully understood that. His gratitude meant a great deal to me. But what I hope he knew was that I didn't help because I expected anything in return. I helped because I believed in Greg, I believed in his family, and I believed in the incredible work being done in Marisa's memory.
The foundation became another connection between us — a reminder that even in the midst of something as difficult as losing a child and battling a serious illness, Greg and Cyndi chose to turn their pain into purpose, and their loss into a legacy of helping others.
I will always be grateful that our paths crossed.
I will remember the conversations, the laughter, the phone calls, the shared experiences and the times when we could simply talk about life. He would stop by my house where we would talk about the foundation, our disease and yes even our own mortalities. I will remember the strength Greg showed when things weren't easy. And I will remember that, despite everything he was facing, he continued to care deeply about other people.
Our fight with Multiple Myeloma created a bond between us, but it was our friendship that made that bond meaningful.
I wish we could have had more time. I wish we could have enjoyed that steak dinner we promised ourselves when he achieved remission, which he never did. More conversations. More laughs. More opportunities to stand together and support one another.
But I take comfort in knowing that Greg's impact will continue — through his family, through his friends, through the people he helped and through the countless lives he touched.
Greg, thank you for your friendship. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for allowing me to play even a small role in something so important to you and your family.
And thank you for reminding me that even when life gives us a fight we never asked for, we can still choose how we fight — with courage, with compassion and with purpose.
Rest easy, my friend.
The fight is over.
Your legacy lives on.
Jim
