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Duke died Tuesday morning in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho from sepsis
due to a ruptured intestine, her spokesman Mitchell Stubbs said.
"She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a mental
health advocate and a cultural icon. She will be greatly
missed," Stubbs said.
Born Anna Duke in New York in 1946, the actress began working as
a child in commercials, television and on stage.
She won a best supporting actress Oscar for playing deaf-blind
author and activist Helen Keller in 1962's "The Miracle Worker"
at age 16, and later won an Emmy for playing Keller's instructor
Annie Sullivan in 1979's TV movie of the same name.
Helen Keller Services, a group dedicated to improving lives of
those with visual and hearing impairment, said it was saddened
by Duke's death.
"Her performance in The Miracle Worker brought Helen Keller’s
indomitable spirit to life and inspired generations to pursue
careers serving the deaf-blind community," the organization said
in a statement.
The actress also starred in her own sitcom, "The Patty Duke
Show" from 1963 to 1966, and had a role in 1967's "Valley of the
Dolls."
She later became president of the Screen Actor's Guild in the
1980s, and also became an advocate for mental health issues
after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982.
The actress was married four times and has three children,
including "Lord of the Rings" actor Sean Astin and "The Facts of
Life" actor Mackenzie Astin.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy and Suzannah Gonzales; Editing by
Diane Craft)
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