Heather Menzies-Urich, 'The Sound of Music's Louisa von Trapp, dies at 68

Actress Heather Menzies-Urich, famously known as Louisa von Trapp from the 1965 classic 'The Sound of Music', died on the Christmas eve in Frankford, Ontario. She was 68.

The musical's creators, Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization confirmed the news in a statement, saying, "Heather was part of 'the family.' There is really no other way to describe the members of the cast of the movie of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. And of 'the kids,' Heather was a cheerful and positive member of the group, always hoping for the next gathering. We are all lucky to have known her, and she will happily live on in that beautiful movie. We will miss her," reports Entertainment Weekly.

Menzies-Urich, the widow of actor Robert Urich, who died of cancer in 2002 at the age of 55, was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, told her her son Ryan Urich, as per reports.

"She was an actress, a ballerina and loved living her life to the fullest," Urich was quoted as saying, "She was not in any pain but, nearly four weeks after her diagnosis of terminal brain cancer, she had enough and took her last breath on this earth at 7:22 pm."

Born in 1949 in Toronto, Menzies-Urich's other acting credits included 'Hawaii', 'Dragnet 1967', 'The Bob Newhart Show', and 'Logan's Run'.

Kym Karath, who played Gretl von Trapp, paid tribute to her Sound of Music co-star on Twitter, writing, "I am filled with infinite sadness."

The official Twitter handle of 'The Sound of Music' also wrote, "We Mourn the Loss of Heather Menzies-Urich...