NORTHAMPTON - An event to celebrate the life of the late Jacqueline J. Walker, co-founder and co-director of Cancer Connection, is being planned by her family.

The event will take place on Feb. 16 at the Log Cabin Banquet and Meeting House in Holyoke starting at 1 p.m. Family members, friends, clients and their families are all invited to attend the event, which will include music, readings and speakers.

"It makes me feel good to do something like this for her," said Becky A. Walker, Walker's daughter-in-law. "She would appreciate it. It feels right to do something for everyone to come together."

Walker died on Jan. 8 at the age of 62 after a brief and sudden battle with cancer. She had previously won a fight against breast cancer. Her death has stunned the cancer community.

It was Walker and Debra A. Orgera who founded the non-profit Cancer Connection in 2000. The program is based in the Florence section of the city and offers free classes and support group meetings to hundreds of people each year.

Becky Walker, who grew up in South Hadley but lives in Austin, Texas now, said her mother-in-law didn't talk about her work a lot, but the family is now understanding just how many people she touched through her work at Cancer Connection.

"We never really saw how big of an impact she had on people," Walker said. "Now we're seeing that."

This week, Cancer Connection announced that Betsy G. Neisner, a member of Cancer Connection board of directors, has been named the interim co-director. Neisner became involved in Cancer Connection when she attended ovarian cancer support group meetings five years ago. She was named to the board in the fall.

Neisner said Walker and Orgera had planned to announce this month that they were stepping down as co-directors in the summer. The board is discussing future leadership roles.

"They realized the organization was strong enough to stand on its own two feet and they were going to move on, but probably stay on in some capacity," said Neisner, who is a lawyer and lives in Leverett.

Neisner said Cancer Connection is dealing as best it can with Walker's death, but wants to reassure the public that the organization is strong and the programs will continue.

"Everyone is both sad and enriched by all the memories everyone has of Jackie," Neisner said. "It was sudden and unexpected."

Neisner said a concert in Walker's memory that will benefit the Cancer Connection is being planned for Feb. 17. Details of that event will be forthcoming.