BOSTON (AP) – Cynthia Baron, the managing editor of the Boston street newspaper Spare Change News has died after a five-year battle with leukemia. She was 56.

Baron, who overcame severe mental illness to earn an advanced college degree, died on Friday at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, according to the newspaper.

“We are completely devastated,” editor Sam Scott said. “Cynthia was the heart and soul of this newspaper for seven years. There will always be a hole in this office without her, and our thoughts are with her friends and family.”

Spare Change News, founded in 1992, is a biweekly publication that reports on homelessness, poverty, housing and other issues of concern to society’s marginalized population. It also publishes original work by the homeless and those on the fringes of society.

Baron inspired the area’s artistic, writing and mental health communities during her time at the paper, and interviewed the powerful and famous, including Noam Chomsky and Ted Koppel.

“She loved her job and Spare Change News and never had a negative outlook, no matter what,” said publisher Fran Czajkowski.

The Boston-area native battled life-threatening depression, but earned an undergraduate degree from Tufts University and a master’s in English from Northeastern University.

She was an editor for Little, Brown and Co. before joining Spare Change News seven years ago. Five years ago she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma and leukemia.

A memorial service and burial were held on Monday. She is survived by companion Julian Hines, brothers Michael J. Baron and Charles P. Baron and their families.

AP-ES-08-09-04 1854EDT