Kiefer Sutherland's Mother Shirley Douglas Dies at 86 from Pneumonia Complications

Shirley Douglas's son Kiefer described her as "an extraordinary woman who lived an extraordinary life" as he announced her death, which he says was expected.

Shirley Douglas passed away in the early hours of the morning on the 5th of April 2020. Her cause of death was said to be complications surrounding Pneumonia, which she had been battling for a while.

The "Designated Survivor" star mentioned that it had no relation to Coronavirus and sent his condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones to the COVID-19 pandemic:

"To any families who have lost their loved ones unexpectedly to Coronavirus. My heart breaks for you."

Lots of Twitter users commented on his post and recognized her efforts as an excellent Canadian activist. One of Shirley's supporters tweeted:

"Kiefer, I loved watching your mom's work. Her presence and voice were unmistakable. She was a pillar of the Canadian stage …"

Born on the 2nd of April 1934, Shirley was a well-known actress who studied at the royal academy for dramatic arts and the Banff school of fine arts.

She played the role of Mrs Starch in director Stanley Kubrick's "Lolita" (1962) and David Cronenberg's "Dead Ringers" (1988).

The actress also portrayed a widowed mother in the television drama "Wind at My Back" (1996). She won a Gemini Award for her performance in the "Shadow Lake" (1999).

The mom of three was also an advocate, and her father, Tommy Douglas, was the former premier of Saskatchewan, who founded Canada's medicare system. She followed in her father's footsteps as she supported many causes while she was alive.

Some of the causes the Toronto-based activist fought for are the Black Panthers, the civil rights movement, Public healthcare, and nuclear disarmament. Shirley also fought against the Vietnamese war and was an officer of the order of Canada.

She married twice in her lifetime. First, to Canadian brewery heir, Timothy Sicks, who fathered her first son, Thomas. Later on, she got married to actor Donald Sunderland in 1996.

She welcomed her twin children Kiefer and Rachel, with him in the same year, but the couple did not last long as they divorced in 1970. Her granddaughter also survives her, "Veep" actress Sarah Sunderland.