'Clerks' actress Lisa Spoonauer died after suffering from chronic illnesses, report says
Lisa Spoonauer, the former actress from Jackson known for her role in "Clerks," died after coping with chronic, degenerative illnesses for 10 years.
Spoonauer, 44, who was born in Rahway and grew up in Freehold, died at home on Saturday. She played the character Caitlin Bree in the 1994 movie directed by Kevin Smith, who along with her fellow cast members, posted remembrances of her on social media Tuesday.
"You changed my life, Lisa," Smith posted on Instagram, calling Spoonauer "one of the chief architects" of the movie. He discovered her in 1992, at a Brookdale Community College acting class. She later left acting to become an event planner and restaurant manager.
Spoonauer is survived by her husband, Tom Caron, her ********, Mia, and her *****on, Tyler. She was also briefly married to Jeff Anderson, her "Clerks" co-star, who played Randal Graves in the film.
The TMZ report cites sources close to Spoonauer's ******, though they did not say what those illnesses were. The report said ******, though acquainted with her many hospital visits and illnesses, "never suspected her condition was bad enough to **** her," and that she ultimately died of natural causes.
Spoonauer's ****** started a fundraiser in honor of Lisa on JustGiving.com for the Patient Advocate Foundation, which provides case management services and financial assistance to patients.
Contributions have so far totaled $2,980, exceeding the original $1,000 goal.
"Our ****** Lisa, if she had gotten better, was going to devote the rest of her life to fighting for those with chronic illness who didn't have the strength or the resources to get the right answers and ultimately obtain the correct course of treatment for themselves," her *******, Mike Spoonauer, wrote on the page.
