Angelina Jolie's Mother Dies

Marcheline Bertrand, actress and mother of Angelina Jolie, died on Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Jolie said in a statement to the Associated Press. The 56-year-old Bertrand, who battled cancer for over seven-and-a-half years, was surrounded by her children, Angelina and son James Haven, as well as Jolie's partner, Brad Pitt.

"Marcheline was beautiful, caring and totally devoted to her children. I never saw her upset or sad, even after she was diagnosed with cancer," Lea Hunter, who once dated Haven, tells PEOPLE. "She always treated me like a member of her family."

Bertrand, who had small roles in movies including 1983's The Man Who Loved Women, raised Jolie and brother Haven by herself after divorcing their father, Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, when Jolie was a toddler.

When granddaughter Shiloh was born in May, Bertrand told PEOPLE: "My heart is overflowing with joy with the new arrival of Brad and Angelina's third child. Maddox, Zahara and Shiloh are deeply loved children. They have very kind and caring parents who love and support each other in every way."

A private funeral is planned, and the family requests that in lieu of flowers or gifts, donations be made to the Women's Cancer Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai.

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