Gena Rowlands Dies: ‘The Notebook’ Star & Honorary Oscar Winner Was 94

Gena Rowlands, best known for her collaborations with husband John Cassavetes and her role in The Notebook, has died. She was 94.

The retired actress died Wednesday afternoon, according to TMZ. She had been battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Rowlands was born on June 19, 1930, in Cambria, Wisconsin. Her mother, Mary Allen, whose stage name was Lady Rowlands, was an actress. Her father, Edwin Myrwyn Reynolds, was a state senator and legislator. Rowlands attended the University of Wisconsin before moving to New York City to study drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.