Patty Duke

Patty Duke was born on December 14, 1946, in Elmhurst, New York City, United States. She had two siblings – a sister called Carol and a brother called Raymond. They unfortunately had a tough childhood as their father was an alcohol addict and their mother had a tendency of violence along with being clinically depressed. Patty was only six years old when her mother made her father move out from their house.

At the young age of eight her talent managers, Ethel and John Ross took over her guardianship. They were already responsible for Patty’s brother’s career and were now on the search for a girl child to add to their list of clients. Thus, they took Patty in. Patty started her career with a role in the TV show, The Brighter Day, in the late 1950s. She also appeared in print ads and television commercials.

Duke had a successful singing career, including two Top 40 hits in 1965 - "Don't Just Stand There" and "Say Something Funny". She also appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on TV. Duke also wrote two books - her autobiography, Call Me Anna, in 1987, and Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic-Depressive Illness, in 1992. On August 17, 2004, Duke received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contribution to the motion picture industry.

On her 61st birthday, on 14 December, 2007, Duke received an honorary degree from the University of North Florida called Doctorate in Humane Letters. This was meant to symbolize her good work done for advancing the awareness on mental health issues. On March 6, 2010, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

At the age of 69 years, Patty passed away. She had a long list of accomplishments to her name. Duke died due to sepsis from a ruptured intestine, according to a statement from Mitchell K. Stubbs & Associates, the agency that represented her. "This morning, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, 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," her family said in a statement posted by her son actor Sean Astin He played the role “Sam” in the trilogy “Lord Of T >> Read More... . "We celebrate the infinite love and compassion she shared through her work and throughout her life”.