R.I.P., Patty Duke — My TV Crush

Patty Duke passed away unexpectedly today (March 29) at the age of 69. A lot of people might not recognize that name, but you might know her best as the mother of actor Sean Astin (of "Goonies" fame).

I loved Nick-At-Nite back in the early '90s as it would show older TV sitcoms from the '50s and '60s,all in their black and white splendor.

My first encounters with these shows included "The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis" and "The Patty Duke Show," but I was most enamored with Patty Duke.

She was cute, bubbly and sassy, and because she played identical cousins there were two of her.

It wasn't until years later that I discovered that she dealt with many inner demons and later diagnosed with manic depression (now known as bipolar disorder) in 1982, long before the term became mainstream.

She had an abusive childhood, with her show business managers controlling her every move. Patty did what she could to survive their constant meddling with her career and earnings, but she was miserable throughout her younger years and wrote a tell-all autobiography later in life. She eventually overcame all of those obstacles and continued acting throughout her career, eventually settling in Hayden, Idaho, in the late 1990s.

I will always fondly remember her as Patty and Cathy Lane and that catchy theme song "..where Cathy adores the minuet, the Ballet Russe and crepes, Suzette, our Patty loves to rock 'n' roll, and a hot dog makes her lose control ..."

She will be missed, but the good thing about reruns is that Patty Duke is forever youthful in this viewer's eyes.