Heather Menzies-Urich, the Canadian actress best known for her role as Louisa von Trapp in the Oscar-winning 1965 film The Sound of Music, has died after a short battle with cancer. She was 68.
Menzies-Urich's son, Ryan Urich, told US entertainment trade daily Variety that his mother passed away on Christmas Eve, surrounded by her family.
"She was an actress, a ballerina and loved living her life to the fullest," Urich said. "She was not in any pain but, nearly four weeks after her diagnosis of terminal brain cancer, she had enough and took her last breath on this earth at 7:22 pm."
Since the death of her husband, Spenser for Hire and Vega$ star Robert Urich, from cancer in 2002, Menzies-Urich had spent much of her time working with the Robert Urich Foundation. She established the organisation in his honour to fund cancer research and care of patients.
Along with her iconic role as practical joker Louisa in The Sound of Music, Menzies-Urich also starred in Logan's Run, the 1970s TV spin-off of the hit sci-fi movie.
Her other screen credits included the films The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Hawaii and Piranha, and the TV series TJ Hooker, Vega$ and Spenser for Hire.
Paying tribute to Menzies-Urich, musicals company Rodgers and Hammerstein, which owns the rights to The Sound of Music, said: "Heather was part of 'the family'. There is really no other way to describe the members of the cast of the movie of The Sound of Music.
"And of 'the kids', Heather was a cheerful and positive member of the group, always hoping for the next gathering.
"We are all lucky to have known her, and she will happily live on in that beautiful movie. We will miss her."
We Mourn the Loss of Heather Menzies-Urich... https://t.co/dpuHJBoBWD pic.twitter.com/V3YqfNSCO3
— The Sound of Music (@SoundofMusic) December 25, 2017
