Steven Spielberg's mother Leah Adler has died at age 97
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Leah Adler, the mother of Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, passed away at her home in Los Angeles on Tuesday. She was 97. Leah was surrounded by her family, said a spokesperson for Spielberg's production company, Amblin Partners.
Leah was a concert pianist, painter and owned a kosher restaurant in Los Angeles called The Milky Way.
A statement from Amblin Partners continued, "While known for her red lipstick and Peter Pan collars, for her love of daisies, for her blue jeans and sparkly bling, for her dancing from table to table around the Milky Way, and for her love of camping, fishing and crossword puzzles, Leah is best remembered for her deep, limitless love for the people around her."
Born in Cincinnati, she learned to play piano at age five and went on to study at the Music Conservatory. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in home economics.
She married Steven's father, Arnold Meyer Spielberg, in February 1945. They had four children: Steven, 70, Anne, Sue and Nancy. In addition to her children, she is survived by 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Leah is known for helping Steven foster his filmmaking pursuits. He is one of the most celebrated directors in film history. He is best known for his films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director in 1999.
In a 1994 interview with Los Angeles Times, she playfully quipped about her son, "I told Steve, if I'd known how famous he was going to be, I'd have had my uterus bronzed."
Leah's first husband, Arnold, celebrated his 100th birthday this month. Her second husband died in 1995 at age 75.
