Chiquita Stephenson, a Stamford woman who died of cancer last week while in Kenya, is being remembered as a tireless advocate for cancer patients.

Her longtime friend, Bridgeport City Council member Mary McBride Lee, says Stephenson was involved in a project that worked to improve conditions in Kenya.

"She was a builder…That's what she was trying to do when the Lord decided to take her home…She was trying to build a community in Africa. I think that I really do think that she died doing what she really loved the most," McBride says.

She describes Stephenson as a champion for women's rights.

A GoFundMe has been created to help return Stephenson's body to Connecticut.