According to sources the 84 year old Patricia Neal died at her home on Sunday. She had battled a long list of illnesses and kept going in her Hollywood career. She died of lung cancer in her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. The husky voiced actress won several awards and they began with her performance in several movies. She was already a star on broad way. Less that two years after winning an academy award she suffered from a series of strokes in 1965 at the age of 39.
Her struggle to regain walking and talking was phenomenal in her quest to return to the big screen. However, that is exactly what she accomplished. She returned to the big screen to win another oscar nomination and three emmy nominations. The Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center that relies on helping people recover from strokes and spinal cord as well as brain injuries was named for hew in Knoxville where she grew up.
She was very courageous battling with her own illnesses and even losing a child to measles in 1962. She just kept forging her way into the hearts and homes of her fans. She was an inspiration to many upcoming actresses and she always gave you her fondest opinion regardless if it was constructive or praise. She wrote an autobiography in 1988 and she used that to let all her fans know just how she felt and how she was dealing with the many different tragedies and illnesses that affected her life. Throughout her lifetime it was often noted as being a hard road although she walked it without wavering.
In 1999 she spoke to her fans saying, you can’t give up although sometimes you really want to. Her dedication to her fans was awesome and her acting expertise was even better. She made different movies for the big screen and she will not soon be forgotten.