Fayetteville man who recently renewed vows to wife passes away after years-long battle with stomach cancer

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Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Fayetteville man dies after battle with stomach cancer
Fayetteville man dies after battle with stomach cancer

FAYETTVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Anthony "Tony" Leonard passed away after a long battle with stomach cancer.

"My love, my best friend, our hero, our coach is now our guardian angel I LOVE YOU Tony Leonard," his wife Christy posted to Facebook on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, she told loved ones that he would soon pass on.

"Our warrior is no longer responsive except for light blinks when we say I love you," she posted. "...Our warrior is almost ready. Please keep praying for a painless transition."

Leonard and Christy renewed their vows in an emotional ceremony in January.

Lenoard was diagnosed with cancer in 2012.

The cancer returned just after his five-year cancer-free anniversary and spread to his lymph nodes and three other organs in early 2018.

He had his organs removed to prevent the disease from spreading.

In February 2018, he received a wish off of his bucket list from the Fill Your Bucket List Foundation: attending the first matchup of the season between Duke and Carolina at the Dean Smith Center with his family.

Anthony Leonard and his family watching the big game
Credit: Fill Your Bucket List Foundation