Patricia Neal, the award winning actress who won the Academy Awards for the movie “Hud” in 1963 and survived several heart attacks to continue her acting career, died on Sunday at the age of 84.

Patricia Neal had a lung cancer and she died surrounded by her family at her town in Edgartown, Massachusetts. According the statement of her family, Neal faced her illness like any other problems that came to her life. She endured all the trials in her life with good humor, grace and self-described stubbornness.

Patricia Neal is considered as one of the best actress in the industry. She is already an award winning Broadway actress when she won her Oscar award for her role as a housekeeper to the Texas father that is fighting his amoral and selfish son.

Neil suffered a series of strokes way back in 1965 at the age of 39. The annals of stroke rehabilitation consider her struggle to walk and talk as epic. After she recovered, she returned to the wide screen and earned another Oscar nomination and three Emmy nominations.

The Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center is named after her that is located in Knoxville, her hometown. The rehabilitation center helps people recover from strokes, brain and spinal cord injuries.

According to her friend Bud Albers, who graduated with Neal in Knoxville High School in 1943, Neil did not forget her friends in Knoxville when she went to Hollywood. He said that whenever she is in Knoxville, there is always a get together with her friends. He said that Neal is so courageous because of fighting her illness and the death of her 7 year old daughter because of measles in 1962. He said that Neal is always an inspiration for the people around her. Neal is one of the most respected actresses in Hollywood.