Actress Patty Duke Dies [VIDEO]

Academy Award winning actress Patty Duke has died at the age of 69, near her home in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Some of her stellar roles included 'The Patty Duke Show' on tv, and 'Valley of the Dolls', and, of course, she won hearts all over America as a 16 year old portraying Helen Keller in 1962's "Miracle Worker". She was also a powerful business woman, was president of the Screen Actors Guild from 1985 to 1988, and won three Emmy Awards. Stars are heartbroken over her passing, and are expressing themselves on Twitter.

Patty Duke had a famously difficult childhood as an actor, so it was always interesting to note that she raised 2 children to be actors as well - McKenzie and Sean Astin, with her then husband, 'Addams Family' actor John Astin.

She was a great champion of mental health issues, after her own life long battle with bi polar disorder, and her Patty Duke Mental Health Project has been organized in her name by her son Sean to continue his mother's good works. A clip from her Oscar winning performance in 'The Miracle Worker' is below.