7th Heaven Star Sarah Goldberg Dead at 40

Actress is reported to have died peacefully from natural causes

By Mike Vulpo Oct 07, 2014 11:20 PMTags
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Actress Sarah Goldberg, who appeared in shows such as House, Judging Amy and 7th Heaven, died Sept. 27, multiple reports confirm. She was 40.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, who spoke to the star's mother, Goldberg died peacefully in her sleep as her computer rested on her lap. She was living at the family cabin in Wisconsin.

Although an autopsy failed to determine a cause of death, Goldberg's mother believes a heart ailment may have ultimately caused her passing.

"She went to sleep and didn't wake up," her mother told the publication. The actress was also known as her stage name, Sarah Danielle Madison.

Goldberg attended Amherst College and earned a bachelor's degree in biology before getting her first big acting gig in My Best Friend's Wedding. She later earned roles in the Denzel Washington movie Training Day, as well as Jurassic Park III.

Fans, however, may best remember Goldberg from her role as Sarah Glass Camden in the long-running series 7th Heaven.

Described as a medical student and the daughter of a rabbi, her character fell in love with Matt Camden, the son of a Christian pastor played by Stephen Collins. Their interfaith romance quickly became a fan-favorite storyline.

"She would walk the street here, or places in Wisconsin, and people would come up to her and say, ‘You played the daughter,'" her mother told the Chicago Sun-Times. "She wanted to go to medical school, and instead for three years she played a doctor on 7th Heaven.

Although services have already been held, the family has asked for contributions to the Sarah Goldberg Memorial Fund at PAWS.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family.