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Catherine Zeta-Jones heartbroken after namesake grandmother dies at 91

Updated 16:25pm on 14 Aug 2008



Catherine Zeta-Jones is mourning the death of her beloved grandmother.

The actress has been left devastated by news that 91-year-old Zeta - who the Oscar-winning Hollywood actress is named after - passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

She is now expected to make an trip back to Wales to attend the funeral in Swansea. It is believed she will jet back to her hometown where she will meet with family members including her younger brothers, Lyndon and David and parents, Dai and Patricia.

The 38-year-old was particularly fond of widow Zeta and made several trips from her home in Bermuda each year to visit her modest £100,000 home in Ravenhill, Swansea.

Catherine Zeta-Jones and her grandmother

Flying visit: Catherine Zeta-Jones' namesake grandmother, Zeta Jones, waves goodbye to the actress on her 91st birthday in February

She flew back in February this year to personally deliver a bouquet of flowers on her birthday.

On a number of occasions she also jetted widow Mrs Jones out to join her at the luxurious hideout she shares with her 62-year-old husband Michael Douglas and their two children, Dylan, eight and Carys, five.

Mrs Jones had been ill for several days and was staying at daughter Valerie's house near to her home when she passed away in her sleep.

Local residents said yesterday it was simply old age that caused her death and that she was 'a lovely woman' who was popular with many people in the area.

Alan Pope, who runs the local Post Office said: "She had lived here for years and years. She came in every Tuesday morning to collect her pension.

"Her family had moved to very nice houses in Swansea but she always refused to leave the area because she had some many friends here.

"Of course when Catherine came to visit you couldn't move for the media attention. She was very fond of her granddaughter and used to take her on holiday to Bermuda.

"She was a lovely woman and very popular. She was very proud of her Catherine."

Catherine Zeta-Jones and her husband Michael Douglas

Catherine and her husband Michael Douglas are expected to fly to Wales for the funeral

Mrs Jones - who is the mother of Catherine's businessman father - is said to be originally named after a famous merchant ship, The Zeta, which carried copper from South America to Swansea docks.

Next-door-neighbour, 60-year-old railwayman Mike Thomas said: "I've known Mrs Jones since I was born. She was a real duchess.

"She's been living in her house in Pentregethin Road since 1947, when the houses were built.

"She was a real independent lady and her family could not get her to move, even in her later days. It has been a pleasure knowing her all these years."

The star's other grandmother Katherine Fair died in 2001 aged 71.

The news comes only days after Catherine and her husband Michael Douglas fell foul of Italian authorities for mooring their yacht in Portofino without permission.

The couple were fined £1,600 by port authorities for breaking immigration and anti-terrorism laws when it was discovered they did not have the correct paperwork.



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