Cloris Leachman Died of a Stroke and COVID Was a Contributing Condition: Medical Examiner
Cloris Leachman's death certificate reveals that the legendary actress had battled COVID-19 and the virus was a significant condition that contributed to her death.
Leachman died of cerebrovascular accident, often referred to as a stroke, a spokesperson for the San Diego County's Medical Examiner's Office confirms to PEOPLE.
COVID-19 was a significant condition that contributed to her death, but was not the underlying cause, according to the spokesperson.
According to a death certificate obtained by ET Online, who was first to report the news, Leachman was cremated on Feb. 7 and her remains are being kept at her daughter Dinah Englund's residence in Encinitas, California.
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Cloris Leachman
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Leachman died on Jan. 27 at the age of 94, her manager, Juliet Green, previously confirmed to PEOPLE.
"It's been my privilege to work with Cloris Leachman, one of the most fearless actresses of our time. There was no one like Cloris. With a single look she had the ability to break your heart or make you laugh till the tears ran down your face. You never knew what Cloris was going to say or do and that unpredictable quality was part of her unparalleled magic," Green said in a statement.
"She loved her children and her grandchildren ferociously. A lifelong vegetarian, she was a passionate advocate for animal rights. The family requests that any donations in her name be made to PETA or Last Chance for Animals," continued Green.
According to TMZ, which first reported the news of her death, Leachman passed away at her home in Encinitas, California, with Englund by her side.
CBS via Getty Cloris Leachman
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In the wake of her death, Leachman's former colleagues commemorated her legacy in loving tributes.
"Such sad news — Cloris was insanely talented. She could make you laugh or cry at the drop of a hat. Always such a pleasure to have on set," Mel Brooks — who directed Leachman in High Anxiety, History of the World, Part 1 and Young Frankenstein — wrote on Twitter.
"Every time I hear a horse whinny I will forever think of Cloris' unforgettable Frau Blücher," he added of her Young Frankenstein role. "She is irreplaceable, and will be greatly missed."
Ed Asner, who costarred on The Mary Tyler Moore Show with Leachman, remembered the star as simply "marvelous."
"I'll carry my memories to my grave. I loved her. She was a sweet mama," Asner told Entertainment Tonight last month. "She was a free cat. She was just marvelous, a marvelous actress. And she would come up with some wonderful ideas."
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