Sad news emerged out of Brazil over the weekend, as it was learned that Vania Maria Nonnenmacher, mother of famous supermodel Gisele Bundchen and former mother-in-law of football legend Tom Brady, died in Porto Alegre, as Fox News reports.

Nonnenmacher, 75, lost her battle with cancer at Moinhos de Vetnto Hospital, according to a statement released by doctors at the facility.

As People magazine explained, not only was Nonnenmacher the mother of the aforementioned world-renowned model, but she also had five other daughters, Patricial, Rafaela, Graziela, Gabriela, and Raquel.

The outlet added that as a retired bank teller, Nonnenmacher took pride in having raised her children in the Brazilian town of Horizontina, instilling “hardworking, middle-class” values in them all.

Page Six outlined the crucial role Nonnemacher had in facilitating the wildly successful career her daughter Gisele would go on to enjoy.

While young Gisele initially had aspirations to become a professional volleyball player, her mother saw fit to register her for a modeling course alongside two of her sisters so they would acquire better posture and a sense of self-confidence.

Once the course was over, the three girls took a celebratory trip to Rio de Janeiro, and that is where Gisele was spotted by a scout for Elite Model Management while on a shopping excursion.

While Gisele Bundchen has always spoken openly and lovingly about her mother, she noted last fall that caring for her aging parents had become a challenge that was “very tough” on her family.

“It has been a lot – in every area of my life. I feel like whenever it rains, it pours,” she said.

The famous model also noted that her parents' growing health challenges had recently inspired her to take proactive steps now to ensure longevity well into the future.

“I want to live the longest feeling the best that I can, but for me to achieve this, I have to make decisions today,” Bundchen said. “You can have all the money in the world. If you don't have your health, it's not possible to buy back.”

Regardless of the personal difficulties that have come her way in recent years, Bundchen has always been forthcoming about the great love she held for her mother, once writing, “I grew up witnessing my mother always trying her best at doing all she could for the six of us girls.”

“She is my hero. She is the reason why I believe a woman is the core of a family...I can only hope to be for my kids what she will and always be for us...our rock,” Bundchen added.

A wake for Nonnenmacher was set to take place Monday in Porto Alegre, and it is clear that she leaves to cherish her memory a world of friends and loved ones whose lives she touched for the better.