Joey + Rory singer Joey Martin Feek has passed away at the age of 40, but she left behind a legacy of faith, family and music that will long outlive her.

The singer died on the afternoon March 4, 2016 after a long battle with cancer that began in 2014, when she was first diagnosed with cervical cancer. She underwent surgery, but the disease returned a year later in a particularly aggressive form, and despite more surgery and very punishing radiation and chemotherapy, doctors told her there was nothing more they could do. Feek decided to end her treatments and spend the rest of her time with her family in her hometown of Alexandria, Ind., where she entered hospice care for the final months of her life.

Feek and her husband Rory rose to fame after competing on TV's Can You Duet? in 2008, after which they released a string of albums that focused strongly on traditional country and gospel music. They documented their down-home life in the country, living on a farm in rural Tennessee, in a popular variety show on RFD-TV. The Joey + Rory Show ran for several seasons and focused on the couple's music, family and Christian faith.

The singer stated many times in interviews that her dreams had come true in a way that she could not have imagined, with a great career, a devoted husband and a child of their own. Take a look through the gallery above to read some of her thoughts on life, love, career, faith and even death, a topic she was not afraid to address with the same dignity and grace that she had lived her life.

Beautiful Photos of Joey + Rory

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