Angelina Jolie is in mourning today. According to news sources, the actress’s mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died on Saturday at a Los Angeles hospital. Bertrand was 56-years-old.
In a statement Jolie issued to the media she said her mother had battled cancer for nearly 8 years, but in the end the deadly disease won out. The statement went on to say that Angelina along with her partner, Brad Pitt, and her brother, James Haven were with Bertrand when she passed away.
“Marcheline was beautiful, caring and totally devoted to her children. I never saw her upset or sad, even after she was diagnosed with cancer,” Lea Hunter, who once dated Haven, told PEOPLE magazine. “She always treated me like a member of her family.”
Bertrand shared a passion for acting, much like her award-winning daughter. She had small roles in movies including 1983’s “The Man Who Loved Women.” In addition, she single handily raised Jolie and brother Haven after divorcing their father, Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight.
Bertrand’s friends tell news sources that she was her happiest when she was surrounded by her children and grandchildren. PEOPLE magazine interviewed Bertrand last May shortly after the arrival of granddaughter Shiloh and she had this to say:
“My heart is overflowing with joy with the new arrival of Brad and Angelina’s third child. Maddox, Zahara and Shiloh are deeply loved children. They have very kind and caring parents who love and support each other in every way.”
Jolie says the family is planning a private funeral for her mother and has requested that in lieu of flowers or gifts, donations be made to the Women’s Cancer Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
My heart goes out to Bertrand’s family members. When I heard the news of her passing I immediately thought of my own mother who was also diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. I am happy to say she is winning her fight, but after reading about Bertrand’s nearly decade long battle with the insidious disease I wonder if cancer victims are ever fully “cancer-free.” Even if a doctor pronounces a cancer patient, “cured” they’re still forced to live with the scars (both physical and emotional) that the disease leaves behind. What’s more, there’s always that nagging question, which haunts cancer victims and their families: “Will it come back?”
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