Iconic actress and singer Doris Day has died, her foundation said Monday. She was 97.
Day was surrounded by close friends when she died early Monday at her Carmel Valley, California, home, the Doris Day Animal Foundation said.
She "had been in excellent physical health for her age, until recently contracting a serious case of pneumonia," the foundation said in a statement shared with The Associated Press.
Day, who was born Doris Marianne von Kappelhoff in 1922, began her career as a singer and dancer and later became a radio performer on Bob Hope’s weekly show, which led to her first film role in 1948's "Romance on the High Seas." She received an Oscar nomination for her role in "Pillow Talk."
She was also known for songs including "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" from Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 film "The Man Who Knew Too Much," in which she starred alongside James Stewart.
In 2004, she was presented a Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush, who said it was "a good day for America when Doris Marianne von Kappelhoff of Evanston, Ohio decided to become an entertainer."
In 1976, she released a memoir, "Doris Day: Her Own Story," which detailed her money struggles and three failed marriages, including her first at the age of just 17. She married a fourth time in 1976, at age 52, to businessman Barry Comden, but that marriage also ended in divorce.
She had devoted much of her time recently advocating for animal rights.
Incredibly, in 2017, the AP obtained a copy of her birth certificate that showed Day was really born April 3, 1922 — making her 95, two years older than she thought she was.
"I've always said that age is just a number and I have never paid much attention to birthdays, but it's great to finally know how old I really am!" Day said in a statement at the time.
She turned 97 on April 3.
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