Jennifer Leak, soap actress from 'The Young and the Restless,' 'Another World,' has died at 76, husband reveals
(NEXSTAR) – Jennifer Leak, a former actress who appeared in numerous soap operas including “The Young and the Restless” and “Another World,” has passed away after a battle with a rare neurological disease, her husband confirmed in an obituary published by a Long Island news outlet.
Leak, 76, died at her home on March 18, he said.
The actress, who began her show business career in the ‘60s, had appeared on such programs as “Hawaii Five-O,” “McMillan & Wife” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” before making the rounds on several popular soap operas, including “The Young and the Restless,” “Ryan’s Hope,” “Another World,” “Guiding Light” and “One Life to Live,” per IMDb.
Viewers may also recognize Leak as one of the many North children in 1968’s “Yours, Mine and Ours” starring Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda.
Leak’s husband, James D’Auria, told the East Hampton Star that his wife had been diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy around 7 years ago. Described by the Mayo Clinic as a rare brain disease, progressive supranuclear palsy hinders a patient’s ability to control “body movement, coordination, thinking and other important functions.”
“Her courage and bravery tried in vain to fight the disease,” D’Auria wrote in a statement published in the obituary.
Leak’s first husband, actor Tim Matheson, whom she met while working on “Yours, Mine and Ours,” also paid tribute to the actress on Facebook, calling her “a remarkable woman.”
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Jennifer Leak's passing. She wasn't just my screen sister in "Yours, Mine and Ours," but also my beloved first wife,” Matheson wrote Wednesday. “Jennifer was a remarkable woman, strong, lovely, and incredibly talented. My deepest condolences go out to her husband of 47 years, James D'Auria and their multitude of friends.”
Leak’s ashes will be buried near her birthplace of Cardiff, Wales, according to the East Hampton Star. D’Auria said her brain tissue has also been donated to the Mayo Clinic for research.