Jennifer Leak’s death has left a hole in fans’ hearts as they pay tribute to the soap actress to starred in Guiding Light, The Young and the Restless and other hit shows.
The TV star’s ex-husband and co-star on Yours, Mine and Ours has paid tribute to Jennifer Leak after her death on social media. The Wales native was best known for starring in movie Yours, Mine And Ours from 1968 as well as hit soaps such as One Life to Live, Another World and Guiding Light. The celebrity passed away at age 76 following a battle with a neurological disease.
Jennifer Leak’s death announced by ex-husband
Ex-partner and actor Tim Matheson wrote on social media on Wednesday: “It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Jennifer Leak’s passing.
“She wasn’t just my screen sister in “Yours, Mine and Ours,” but also my beloved first wife.
“Jennifer was a remarkable woman, strong, lovely, and incredibly talented. My deepest condolences go out to her husband of 47 years, James D’Auria and their multitude of friends.”
Jennifer Leak had been in battle with a rare neurological disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), before her death.
It is a “rare brain disease that affects walking, balance, eye movements and swallowing,” Mayo Clinic reports.
There is no cure for the condition, and treatment for patients aims to manage symptoms.
It “results from the damage of cells in areas of the brain that control body movement, coordination, thinking and other important functions,” and “worsens over time and can lead to dangerous complications, such as pneumonia and trouble swallowing.”
Star’s ‘courage and bravery’ praised
Her widow D’Auria has said “her courage and bravery tried in vain to fight the disease” while revealing she donated her brain tissue for medical research.
An obituary in The East Hampton Star also looked back at her time in Hollywood and the small screen.
Her husband told the outlet Leak was a “a shy and private person, never desiring to be the center of attention or having the need for an audience.
“She saved those feelings and exhibited them only when on camera, and then she became electric.”
Leak was cast alongside greats such as Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda in her 1968 movie. She played College, the daughter of Helen North, played by Ball.
Leak had met her husband in New York, and they split their time between East Hampton and the big city, but made it their permanent residence after 9/11. In 2017, they made the move to Florida full-time.
Tributes have poured in for Jennifer Leak after her death was announced.
One fan wrote: “Oh wow, that’s really sad to hear about Tim Matheson’s first wife, Jennifer Leak. It’s amazing how they met while playing step-siblings in the film ‘Yours, Mine and Ours’ back in 1968. She must have been a remarkable woman.
“It’s always tough to lose someone you care about. My thoughts are with Tim Matheson during this difficult time.”
A second said: “RIP Jennifer Leak played Olive Gordon Randolph on AW. Great acting. Sad to hear”.
A third said: “I just saw on Facebook that soap vet Jennifer Leak has passed. Although best known for the film “Yours, Mine, & Ours,” she played prostitute turned nun Gwen Sherman (love interest of Greg Foster) on #YR & crazy villainous Olive Gordon Randolph on #AW in the 70s”
Jennifer Leak’s career
Her first work on screen started in the 1960s, where she bagged a part in A Flame in the Wind, as well as a couple of episodes of Wojeck.
Leak then went on to act in the 1967 film The Graduate, but dropped out due to immigration problems.
In soaps, she played the part of Gwen Sherman in The Young and the Restless in 1974 for two episodes, as well as six episodes of Another World where she portrayed Olive Randolph between 1976 and 1979. She also appeared as Blanche Bouvier for one episode of Guiding Light in 1981.
Leak also has credits for Hawaii Five-0, Nero Wolfe, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Bright Promise.
She stepped back from the stoplight in the 1980s and went into real estate.
The star is survived by her husband and brother, Kenneth Leak.
Her ashes will be buried in the graveyard of her childhood church in Rumney, Wales.
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