Sean Astin Pays Tribute to Late Mother Patty Duke

Sean Astin and Patty Duke (Photo: Getty Images)

Following Patty Duke’s death Tuesday at age 69, Sean Astin paid tribute to his mother on Facebook.

“I love you mom,” he wrote.

Astin then shared a statement from the entire family, which includes his brother Mackenzie Astin and his three children.

“This morning, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, matriarch and the exquisite artist, humanitarian, and champion for mental health, Anna PATTY DUKE Pearce, closed her eyes, quieted her pain and ascended to a beautiful place,” Astin wrote. “We celebrate the infinite love and compassion she shared through her work and throughout her life.”

The throwback photo Astin shared in tribute to his mother. (Photo: Facebook)

Duke won an Academy Award at 16 for her performance as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker, a role she also originated on Broadway. She starred in her own show, The Patty Duke Show, for three seasons. At 36, Duke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and dedicated the rest of her life to mental health issues and advocacy.

Astin concluded his tribute with, “Her work endures…” and a link to a fundraising site for the Patty Duke Mental Health Project.

“Before her passing, before the suffering became too great, we talked about how the core mission of her mental health work might continue beyond her life,” Astin writes on the fundraising site. “This initiative will fuel a multi-level approach to achieving results for those suffering with mental illness and their families and communities. Public awareness campaigns, lobbying efforts, and supporting a multitude of mental health programs big and small will be organized, prioritized, and vigorously pursued.”