"Menzies-Urich, the widow of actor Robert Urich, had been recently diagnosed with cancer, according to her son Ryan Urich.

"Urich said his mother died on Christmas Eve, surrounded by her children and family members.

"She was an actress, a ballerina and loved living her life to the fullest," Urich said. "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."