'Gunsmoke': Amanda Blake Sold Residual Rights for Huge - Outsider She became a supporter of the American Cancer Society and made fundraising appearances throughout the country. May her soul rest in peace. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Spaeth was a city councilman and a developer, and the couple is said to have married for a mutually beneficial financial reason. [6] Kemo lived in an animal compound at her home, at which she and husband Frank Gilbert ran an experimental breeding program for cheetahs. Resend Activation Email. Did you know that Gunsmokes Amanda Blake was a renowned animal-rights activist and that she helped establish numerous animal-rights foundations that are still doing incredible work today? Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider. Blake could have gotten the virus from her husband of less than a year. They were some of the first to breed cheetahs successfully in captivity; they raised seven generations of cheetahs. Amanda Blake and Mark Spaeth marriage did not survive even one year but caused terrible consequences that costed life to the actress. She was married four times in her life. Similarly, they didnt welcome any kids from their marital life. Miss Blake's death certificate, nevertheless, stated the immediate cause of death as CMV hepatitis and cardiopulmonary arrest due to liver failure. The stone displays her given name Beverly Louise Neill. Pat noted Blake's declining health and convinced her to see Sacramento doctor, Lou Nishimura. There is a problem with your email/password. Spaeth had claimed before he died that Blake had infected him after returning from a trip to Africa. Required fields are marked *. Amanda Blake in costume as Kitty Russell, on the set of 'Gunsmoke' in 1967 | Source: Getty Images. But what happened to her, is Amanda Blake still alive? In 1985, Blake received the American Cancer Society's Sword of Hope award. Her doctor, Lou Nishimura, revealed that she had died of AIDS complications, but had been said to have died of throat cancer. Blake reportedly was a one-time board member of the Humane Society of the United States. Blake had wanted to keep her diagnosis and subsequent illness out of the headlines, but when her relatives decided to contest her will, claiming her cognition was impaired, her best friend Pat Derby revealed the truth. She spent a third of her life in acting. In 1971 she joined with others in Phoenix, Arizona, to form the Arizona Moreover, she used to smoke around 2-3 packets of cigarettes a day and was later diagnosed with oral cancer in 1977.