Virgin River star Tim Matheson is mourning the death of his first wife and former co-star Jennifer Leak.
The pair first met in 1968 on the set of Yours, Mine and Ours where they starred as step-siblings, Colleen North and Michael Beardsley.
In a heartbreaking message on Facebook, the 67-year-old wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Jennifer Leak’s passing.”
He continued: “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.”
Matheson concluded: “My deepest condolences go out to her husband of 47 years, James D’Auria and their multitude of friends.”
The two actors married in 1968 before getting divorced in 1971, Jennifer then married architect D’Auria in April 1977.
According to an obituary in the East Hampton Star, Jennifer died on March 18, at her home in Jupiter, Florida.
For the last several years had been dealing with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurological disease.
According to the NHS, PSP is caused by increasing numbers of brain cells becoming damaged over time and can cause problems with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing.
There are only around 4,000 people with PSP living in the UK with most cases developing in people over the age of 60.
“Her courage and bravery tried in vain to fight the disease,” D’Auria wrote, according to the Star, noting that she donated her brain tissue to the Mayo Clinic for further research.
In the obituary, the architect described his wife as “a shy and private person, never desiring to be the center of attention or having the need for an audience.
“She saved those feelings and exhibited them only when on camera, and then she became electric.”
