George Clooney’s sister, Adelia “Ada” Zeidler, has died at age 65.
The actor’s older sibling died from cancer on Friday, Dec. 19.
“My sister, Ada, was my hero,” Clooney said in a statement. “She faced down cancer with courage and humor. I’ve never met anyone so brave. Amal and I will miss her terribly.”
According to her obituary, Ada — of Augusta, Ky. — died peacefully at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, Ky., surrounded by loved ones.
Ada, who was named after her great-grandmother, was born in Los Angeles on May 2, 1960, to journalist and TV host Nick Clooney and writer Nina Bruce Warren.
“A talented artist, she shared her skills as an elementary art teacher at Augusta Independent School for several years,” her obituary states. In high school, her academic achievements led to recognition as a National Merit Scholar. She was an avid reader who connected with others through a local book club, and she was active in the Augusta Art Guild. She also served as a past grand marshal of Augusta’s Annual White Christmas Parade.
Ada later attended college in Louisville and Northern Kentucky and worked as a bookkeeper.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(665x0:667x2):format(webp)/Adelia-Ada-122025-1e8db33711eb4b7bbd27d38d76523737.jpg)
She married Norman Zeidler, a retired army captain, in Augusta on March 14, 1987. Family members — along with many from their small Kentucky hometown — attended and participated in the ceremony, according to the Kentucky Photo Archive.
During the wedding, George read scripture, and the siblings’ aunt Rosemary Clooney sang a romantic song for the newlyweds. “The whole town helped with the wedding. We couldn’t have gotten through it without them,” their mother, Nina, previously said.
Although Ada largely kept her life private and rarely made public appearances, she attended her brother’s wedding to Amal Clooney in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 27, 2014.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(976x524:978x526):format(webp)/george-clooney-sister-adelia-1-20939bf7ca3d4276b00a6a11a79eac92.jpg)
Ada was preceded in death by her husband, who died on Oct. 11, 2004, of a heart attack.
“In addition to her parents, she leaves behind her beloved children, Nick Zeidler and Allison Zeidler Herolaga and her husband, Kenny; her brother, George Clooney and his wife, Amal; and several uncles, aunts, and cousins,” the obituary concludes.
A funeral will be held for Ada on Monday, Dec. 22. The obituary notes that memorials are suggested to the Knoedler Memorial Library in Augusta.
