Jamie shared on Instagram that her older sister died Saturday morning, writing that Kelly passed away at her home in “at peace.” She was 69 years old.
Kelly died at 2:30 a.m. Saturday and had been in hospice care for the last week prior to her death, Us Weekly reported. According to the outlet, she is expected to be cremated.
Kelly was also an actress, starring in 1987’s “Magic Sticks” and 1991’s “The Devil’s Daughter.” At the time of her death, she was married to filmmaker John Marsh.
Jamie and Kelly’s parents are actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, who were married for 11 years before they divorced in 1962. Tony also had four children through his later marriages: Alexandra, Allegra, Benjamin, and Nicholas — the latter who died in 1994 from a heroin overdose at 23 years old.
In Jamie’s tribute to Kelly, the “Halloween” actress, 67, called her older sister her “first friend and lifelong confidant.”
Jamie wrote of her only full sibling: “She was jaw droppingly beautiful, and a talented actress. She played a mean game of hearts, collected turtles, loved her family, nature, music, thrifting, travel, Facebook, and Pokémon Go. She was proud of her Danish roots and Hungarian Jewish ancestry and was a devoted American patriot.”
“She will be remembered for her loving generosity, fierce opinions, endless curiosity, unique style, and her powdered, almond, crescent cookies at Christmas, hence her name, Auntie Cookie,” she continued.
Journalist Chris Connelly commented on the post with his own memories of Kelly.
“She joined our high school class senior year, and it was as if she’d stepped off a meteorite,” he recalled. “Walked in beauty, like the night. Quoted lyrics from Tumbleweed Connection on her senior page in our yearbook. Into our NYC world, she was the coolest breeze of fresh air … and always to be remembered.”
Jamie later shared never-before-seen photos of her and Kelly on Instagram, which were taken when Kelly slept over the night before Jamie married husband Christopher Guest in December 1984.
“My sister and I were close as children but also had that sibling competition for divorced parent’s attention and love and we were wildly different and lived apart for many years, but she came back to be with me at my wedding and never really left again,” she shared.
“I miss her today but am buoyed by the knowledge that she is at peace,” she concluded.
