Adelia "Ada" Zeidler, the older sister of actor George Clooney and a longtime elementary school art teacher in northern Kentucky, has died. She was 65.
Zeidler died from cancer on Friday, according to People. Her obituary said she died "peacefully surrounded by the people she loved" at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, Kentucky.
"My sister, Ada, was my hero," George Clooney said in a statement to People. "She faced down cancer with courage and humor. I've never met anyone so brave.
"Amal and I will miss her terribly."
Zeidler was born May 2, 1960, in Los Angeles to Nick Clooney and Nina Bruce Warren, one year before her younger brother.
Her parents were public figures in their own right. Her mother was a former beauty queen who later served as a city councilwoman, and her father worked as a TV news anchor.
While George Clooney went on to pursue a career in acting, Zeidler built a life centered on education, art, and her community.
She lived in Augusta, Kentucky, a small town near the Ohio River, and spent many years working as an elementary art teacher at Augusta Independent School, Entertainment Weekly reported.
She was active in the local arts scene and was a member of the Augusta Art Guild and was also selected as grand marshal of Augusta's White Christmas Parade.
Zeidler was recognized early for her academic achievements. In high school, she qualified as a National Merit Scholar, an achievement highlighted in her obituary.
Her interests also included literature, and she was an active member of a local book club.
On March 14, 1987, she married retired Army Capt. Norman Zeidler. He died of a heart attack in 2004.
Despite leading a life far removed from Hollywood, Zeidler occasionally spoke publicly about her relationship with her famous brother.
In a 2012 interview with New York's Daily News, she reflected on the different paths they chose.
"I think [George] decided that in his life he could have the career or he could have a family. And so … he decided to go full bore into the acting. That was where his focus was going to be," she said.
She also shared that she once considered a similar career but ultimately chose otherwise.
"There is a part of me that would very much like to have become a famous actress or something like that," Zeidler said.
While she said she enjoyed acting, she added, "I did not have a thick enough skin for it."
Although she generally avoided the public spotlight, Zeidler attended George Clooney's wedding to human rights attorney Amal Alamuddin in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 27, 2014.
A funeral service is scheduled for Monday. The obituary notes that memorial contributions are suggested to the Knoedler Memorial Library in Augusta.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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