AceShowbiz - Mary Beth Hurt, the acclaimed Tony-nominated actress known for her roles in films like Interiors, Six Degrees of Separation, Chilly Scenes of Winter, and The World According to Garp, passed away on Saturday in New Jersey after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, diagnosed in 2015.

Her husband, filmmaker Paul Schrader, made his first public statement regarding her passing through a brief Facebook post, a platform where he has consistently shared his candid reflections on life and his Hollywood career.

In his post on Monday afternoon, Paul Schrader reflected on loss through a poignant comparison to his father’s journal entry from November 23, 1978: "My father kept a meticulous and finely printed daily journal. On Thanksgiving 1978 he wrote simply 'Joan died 12:20 am.' Nothing more. Joan was his wife and my mother. He was made of stern stuff. I've looked at this entry over the years and wondered how I'd feel in his place. Now I'm in that place."

The couple married in Chicago in August 1983 and had two children, Molly and Sam. Over the years, they collaborated professionally, with Mary Beth Hurt starring in four films directed by Paul Schrader: Light Sleeper (1992), Affliction (1997), The Walker (2007), and Adam Resurrected (2008).

Following her diagnosis, Schrader took on the role of primary caregiver, even relocating to The Coterie, an assisted living facility in New York City, to remain close to her during her final years.

After Mary Beth Hurt's passing, their daughter Molly paid tribute to her mother on Instagram, sharing, "Yesterday morning we lost my mom, Mary Beth, to Alzheimer's after a decade long battle with the disease. She was an actress, a wife, a sister, a mother, an aunt, a friend, and she took on all those roles with grace and a kind ferocity. Although we're grieving there is some comfort in knowing she is no longer suffering and is reunited with her sisters in peace."

Mary Beth Hurt leaves behind a legacy of memorable performances and a loving family who supported her through her illness. Paul Schrader's tribute highlights the profound personal loss behind the public figure’s death, offering insight into the emotional impact Alzheimer’s had on their lives.