WASHINGTON — Jennifer Leak, known as a soap opera star and actress in the 1968 film "Yours, Mine and Ours," has died, according to multiple reports. She passed away on March 18 and was 76.
Leak was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disease, seven years ago, according to an obituary in the East Hampton Star.
The condition affects body movement including walking and balancing, as well as eye movements. It's caused by damage to the nerve cells in the brain that control thinking and movement; life expectancy after being diagnosed with the progressive supranuclear palsy is between six to nine years, the Cleveland Clinic states on its website.
Leak was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1947. She got her start on TV in the Canadian television series "Wojeck," appearing in the show's pilot episode.
But her breakout role came when she moved to L.A. and was cast as Lucille Ball's daughter in "Yours, Mine and Ours," a family comedy about two single parents whose large entourage of kids (18 between them) decide to sabotage their budding relationship.
While on set, she met her first husband, Tim Matheson. The couple married the same year the film came out and were divorced in 1971.
Matheson wrote a tribute Wednesday to his ex-wife on Facebook, praising her for her talent and strength.
"It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Jennifer Leak’s passing," he wrote. "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.”
Leak moved to the silver screen to the TV screen, appearing on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Hawaii Five-0." She also played Gwen Sherman on "The Young and the Restless" for three years, and appeared on "Guiding Light" and "Another World."
She retired from acting in the 1980s and found a new job as a real estate agent, according to PEOPLE.
She is survived by her husband and her brother, Kenneth Leak.