Patty Duke, Award Winning Actress, Dies at 69

Patty Duke, actress, singer and mental health advocate, has died. Duke, who grew up in the public eye, was 69.

Her family confirmed her passing with a message on Facebook Tuesday morning.

“This morning our beloved wife, mother, matriarch, and the exquisite artist, humanitarian, and champion for mental health, Anna Patty Duke Pearce, closed her eyes, quieted her pain and ascended to a beautiful place. We celebrate the infinite love and compassion she shared through her work and throughout her life.”

Duke's death was also confirmed by her representative Michael Stubbs. In a statement sent to USA Today, he said Duke's cause of death was a sepsis from a ruptured intestine.

A memorial wreath and flowers are being placed at on her Hollywood Walk of Fame star in front of the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel at 7000 Hollywood Blvd.

An award-winning actress, Duke won an Oscar for her role in the 1962 film, "The Miracle Worker," where she played Helen Keller. The film told the story of how Keller learned to communicate learned to communicate through her tutor Anne Sullivan. She later appeared on "The Patty Duke Show," a series created specially for her.

Duke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1987 and wrote about it in her autobiography, "Call Me Anna: The Autobiography of Patty Duke."

Several paid tribute to the actress on social media.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons