Actress Maureen O’Hara Dies at 95

Irish-American actress Maureen O’Hara has died. She was 95.

The Parent Trap star’s family confirmed to The Irish Times that she passed away from natural causes in her sleep on Saturday.

The FitzSimons family (O’Hara was born Maureen FitzSimons) issued a statement, saying, “Maureen was our loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She passed peacefully surrounded by her loving family as they celebrated her life listening to music from her favorite movie, The Quiet Man.”

Per the Irish Times, the family praised O’Hara, who received an honorary Academy Award in 2014, for having brought “unyielding strength and sudden sensitivity to every role she played.”

“Her characters were feisty and fearless, just as she was in real life,” the family’s statement continued. “She was also proudly Irish and spent her entire lifetime sharing her heritage and the wonderful culture of the Emerald Isle with the world.”

O’Hara’s family noted in their statement that while she “cherished her privacy, she always appreciated the expressions of good will from people around the world and from all walks of life. She especially loved it when children recognised her from her role in Miracle on 34th Street and asked her: ‘Are you the lady who knows Santa Claus?’ She always answered: ‘Yes I am. What would you like me to tell him?'”

The late actress’s family, which includes her daughter Brownyn FitzSimons, said, per The Irish Times, “While we mourn the loss of a very wonderful woman, we also celebrate her remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to young people around the world, especially in Ireland, to work hard to make their dreams come true and to always have the courage to stand up for themselves.”

The family noted, per The Irish Times, that for those wishing to honor O’Hara, they “have a simple request: visit Ireland one day and think of her.”

Below is a video remembering the stars we’ve lost in 2015.