George Clooney Honors Sister Ada After Her Death at 65: 'I've Never Met Anyone So Brave'

George Clooney is mourning the loss of his older sister, Adelia "Ada" Zeidler, who died Friday after a battle with cancer. She was 65. In an emotional tribute, Clooney remembered her as his hero and the most courageous person he's ever known.

"My sister, Ada, was my hero," Clooney told PEOPLE magazine on Saturday. "She faced down cancer with courage and humor. I've never met anyone so brave. Amal [my wife] and I will miss her terribly."

According to her official obituary, Zeidler "died peacefully surrounded by the people she loved" on December 19 at St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, Kentucky.

Born on May 2, 1960, a year before her famous brother, Zeidler forged her own path away from the Hollywood spotlight. She worked for many years as an elementary art teacher in Kentucky, was an artist and member of the Augusta Art Guild, and was married to retired Army Captain Norman Zeidler, who died from a heart attack in 2004.

In a rare interview in 2012, Zeidler reflected on their different lifestyles. "I think [George] decided that in his life he could have the career or he could have a family," she said. "He decided to go full bore into the acting." While she confessed to enjoying acting herself, she admitted, "I did not have a thick enough skin for it."

Zeidler is survived by her brother, George, and her two children, Nick Zeidler and Allison Zeidler Herolaga.