Patty Duke, oscar-winning former child star, dead at 69

The actress passed away from sepsis stemming from a ruptured intestine.

Patty Duke, center, with her sons Sean and MacKenzie Astin (left). (Getty Images)

Academy Award-winning actress Patty Duke has passed away at age 69, according to several reports. A former child star, Duke was known for her roles in The Miracle Worker, which earned her an Oscar, and in her self-titled television show.

"Anna 'Patty Duke' Pearce passed away this morning...Her cause of death was sepsis from a ruptured intestine," said a statement from Mitchell Stubbs, one of her representatives. "She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a mental health advocate and a cultural icon. She will be missed."

Duke was the president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988 and, after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was heavily involved in raising awareness for mental illness, according to NBC News.

She won the 1963 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker and later won an Emmy for playing Helen Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, in a television adaptation of the The Miracle Worker.

Duke is the mother of actors Sean and MacKenzie Astin.

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