George Clooney pays tribute to ‘hero’ older sister, Adelia Zeidler, after her death at 65

A funeral for Clooney’s sister is scheduled for December 22 in family’s home state of Kentucky

George Clooney has paid tribute to his sister Adelia “Ada” Zeidler, who has died at the age of 65 from cancer.

Clooney confirmed the news to People, which reported she died on Friday from the disease.

“My sister, Ada, was my hero,” the Ocean’s 11 actor told the publication in a statement. “She faced down cancer with courage and humor. I’ve never met anyone so brave. Amal and I will miss her terribly.”

According to Zeildler’s obituary, she “died peacefully surrounded by the people she loved” in Edgewood, Kentucky. A funeral is scheduled to take place on Monday, while memorials are suggested to be left at the Knoedler Memorial Library in Augusta.

She was born on May 2, 1960, in Los Angeles to Nick Clooney and Nina Bruce Warren.

‘She faced down cancer with courage and humor. I’ve never met anyone so brave,’ Clooney said in a statement about his sister’s death (Getty Images)

“A talented artist, she shared her skills as an elementary art teacher at Augusta Independent School for several years,” her obituary read. “In high school, her academic achievements qualified her to be a National Merit Scholar. Her love for reading connected her with other readers in a local book club. She was also a member of the Augusta Art Guild and was a past grand marshal of Augusta’s Annual White Christmas Parade.”

Zeilder went on to attend college in Louisville, Kentucky, before working as a bookkeeper. She married Norman Zeidler, a retired army captain, in 1987 in Augusta, Kentucky.

Her younger brother also participated in the wedding as he read the scripture, while their aunt, Rosemary Clooney, sang a song for the newlyweds at the reception. Norman later died in 2004 of a heart attack. Over the years, Zeilder largely remained out of the public eye, but continued a close relationship with her brother despite his fame. She also attended his 2017 wedding to wife Amal Clooney in Venice, Italy, on September 27, 2014.

In a 2012 interview with The Columbus Dispatch, she admitted how she communicated with her brother, choosing not to leave his phone number around in case the wrong person got hold of it.

“I wouldn't want to have it in my phone and then lose my phone,” she said at the time. “He can phone me, and he does occasionally, but email is more convenient for both of us.”

“In addition to her parents, she leaves behind her beloved children, Nick Zeidler and Allison Zeidler Herolaga and her husband, Kenny; her brother, George Clooney and his wife, Amal; and several uncles, aunts, and cousins,” the obituary concluded.