From Fox News: Hayley McNeff, a nationally ranked bodybuilder, nutritionist and life coach, has died, according to an obituary published Tuesday. She was 37.
McNeff’s death was reported by Boston.com, which described her death as “unexpected but peaceful.”
She was a Massachusetts native who graduated from UMass Amherst and became a champion bodybuilder.
According to her family, McNeff died unexpectedly at her home in Sudbury, Mass., last Friday, August 8.
Haley’s father, Dave, released the following statement to People.com: “Hayley was like a beam of light in this world. She had boundless energy and was very determined to achieve whatever she set out to do. She set her sights on bodybuilding and fitness and achieved the highest success that sector offered. She loved us and we love Hayley very much, we miss her madly.”
McNeff had reportedly stepped away from her bodybuilding career, and pursued a graduate degree in psychology.
Fitness Influencer Hayley McNeff’s Family Speaks Out After Her Sudden Death at Age 37 (Exclusive) https://t.co/DYa85Nq7rF
— People (@people) August 14, 2025
A friend, Maryann Amerault, paid tribute to McNeff in a Facebook post:
I’m heartbroken to learn that my old friend from the bodybuilding world, Hayley McNeff passed away last week. I actually couldn’t stand Hayley the first time we met at the Arnold (turns out I was the problem), but we became besties after meeting up at the USAs later that same year. We lived together for a short time in Las Vegas in the summer of 2010, and that time we spent together was nothing short of epic.
We had so much fun together. Hayley taught me not to take myself so seriously, and that I shouldn’t trust my first impressions of people. She was an old soul: extroverted, blunt, funny, and incredibly kind-hearted. Oh, and she could hit a most muscular pose on command better than any other woman I know. She had a way of making everyone around her smile. Hayley was truly a light in this world.
I’m praying for her, her family, and all those who loved her. RIP, Hayley. You won’t be forgotten.
Below is a photo McNeff posted on her Instagram account in 2016. She hasn’t been active on the account for several years.
View this post on Instagram
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