FOXBORO - Susan Knight would rather not say the word right out. Suffice to say that on May 6, she lost her 40-year-old husband, James Knight, to depression. He had suffered from the illness for years, she said. He put on a brave face for his family, for his friends, for the world.

Until he could sustain that kind of braveness no more.

"I think depression should be taken very seriously. It's like cancer. It's a disease," Susan Knight said. "It's a type of disease where some individuals can hide it very well. I knew, but some of his Foxboro friends had no idea. To look at Jim, he was a very easygoing guy."

A photo on the living room wall at the Knight home on Bates Street, taken during their college days and given by a friend as a wedding gift, shows the couple costumed in 1950s rock 'n' roll getup, Jim in a white T-shirt and blue jeans, a picture of ease and playfulness.

"He was funny. He made people laugh. He was always joking with people. He had a great sense of humor," she said. "He was the life of the party." The couple met at Salem State College, where they both graduated. They married on Oct. 5, 1991.

His friendly ways helped in sales, his line of work. She works as an accountant at Dedham Medical Associates in Norwood.

He played acoustic and electric guitar as a hobby, loved classic rock music, especially Eric Clapton, and was "a very big Patriots and Red Sox fan, definitely," she said.

Last Christmas, for the first time, the Knights sent out a family photo Christmas card, taken by the fireplace at home, mom and dad wearing red jerseys, the boys sporting Red Sox jerseys.

Matthew, 11, attends Ahern Middle School and plays Foxboro Youth Baseball and youth soccer.

Christopher, 9, who has autism, goes to Taylor Elementary School. He enjoys swimming.

Just last January, Jim and Susan Knight went to Aruba for the first time, using airline tickets they got free for giving up their seats on an overbooked flight during an earlier vacation.

And that previous vacation trip, to Jamaica, was a prize he'd won in a radio station contest. "He was always winning things," she said.

A lucky guy.

But since that day when he died unexpectedly at home - six days before Mother's Day - Susan Knight has found herself overwhelmed with something more durable than luck: the love of a community, and her own gratitude. During the past 10 weeks, she and the boys have experienced countless acts of kindness and support, including the professionalism of Foxboro police the morning she called 911.

"It just brought tears to my eyes, the generosity from the Foxboro community - especially during this economic recession," she said. "This town is an unbelieveable town."

The help is about to become a lot more visible - and upbeat.

Friends have organized a fundraiser for the Knight family from 6 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 7 on the Common. The event will be coordinated with that night's Jaycees Concert on the Common, featuring the tropical rock music of the Cocabanana Band.

"We, her neighbors, are looking to hold a family event in a small effort to help the Knights in the emotional and financial aftermath of their terrible loss," Mimi Foley of 17 Bates St. wrote selectmen, who approved the use of the Common for the fair.

"They're a wonderful family," who've lived quietly in Foxboro for 12 years, according to organizer Donna Phelan of 13 Bicknell St.

The fair will offer a moonwalk, arts and crafts tables, face painting, a dunk tank, basket raffles and other fun.

In a low-key way, the event will also seek to raise awareness about depression, Phelan said. Literature about depression and where to get help will be available.

"We're taking it one day at a time and we'll be OK," Susan Knight said. "I have to be, for the boys."

Donations for the Knight family can be made now through Aug. 7 to the Foxboro Discretionary Fund, c/o Lisa Downs, 25A Edwards Road. Foxboro, MA 02035.

For more information, call Phelan at 508-698-9971.

A second fundraiser, "An Evening for a Friend," with rock and soul music performed by 20 Boston-area professional musicians, will be held at 8 p.m. Sept. 5 at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets are $40.

For tickets to the Orpheum concert send a check to: The Knight Children Fund, PO Box 1354 Easton, MA, 02334. For information contact Bill McGoldrick at 617-968-3558 or email billmcgoldrick@yahoo.com.