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George Clooney is mourning the loss of his sister, Ada Zeidler, who died Friday at 65 after battling cancer, People magazine reports.
“My sister, Ada, was my hero,” Clooney told the outlet exclusively. “She faced down cancer with courage and humor. I’ve never met anyone so brave. Amal and I will miss her terribly.”
Adelia — who went by Ada among family and friends — resided in Augusta, Kentucky, where she “died peacefully surrounded by the people she loved” at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in nearby Edgewood.
Her local obituary offers, “A talented artist, she shared her skills as an elementary art teacher at Augusta Independent School for several years. 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.”
She made her living as a bookkeeper, marrying retired army captain Norman Zeidler in March 1987, with her little brother in attendance.
Her husband died in October 2004.
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Ada rarely made public appearances, but was spotted at George and Amal Clooney’s September 2014 wedding in Venice.
She is survived by her parents and her two children, as well as by George and Amal.