ay 13 (UPI) — Doris Day, a Hollywood screen legend, singer and animal welfare advocate, has died at the age of 97.
The Doris Day Animal Foundation confirmed the star’s death on Monday at 1 a.m. at her Carmel Valley, Calif. home.
Day, who turned 97 in April, had recently contracted pneumonia.
She was surrounded by close friends at the time of her death.
Day, whose singing career included hits such as “Sentimental Journey” and “Que Sera Sera” from the film The Man Who Knew Too Much, also starred in films such as Calamity Jane, Pillow Talk, Love Me or Leave Me, The Pajama Game, Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, Lover Come Back and The Winning Team alongside former Ronald Reagan, who went on to become president of the United States.
The actress headlined The Doris Day Show on CBS, which ran for five seasons from 1968 to 1973.
She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004, a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in 2008 and the Career Achievement Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association in 2011.
Day founded the Doris Day Animal Foundation in 1978 to help fight animal testing and to advocate for spaying and neutering. Her Spay Day program turned into World Spay Day, which takes place every year on the last Tuesday of February. The event helps provide free or reduced-cost spay and neuter surgeries for animals in 75 countries.
