Desperate Housewives' Kathryn Joosten passes away

Emmy award winner Kathryn Joosten passed away on Saturday. The 72-year old actress lost her battle against lung cancer.

Kathryn, known best for her roles as neighbor Karen McCluskey on Desperate Housewives and secretary Mrs. Landingham The West Wing, was surrounded by family and friends in her final hours in Westlake Village, California. Her rep, Nadina Jolson, told E! News, "Kathryn passed away this morning after a valiant fight against her cancer. Her family was with her. Funeral arrangements are pending. This is a terrible loss, and she fought as hard as she could."

Kathryn Joosten © Jonathan Leibson/FilmMagic

Kathryn was survived by her two sons, Jonathan and Timothy, their wives and two grandsons, Jon Henry and Evan James. The statement released by the family reads, "The family of Kathryn Joosten, two-times Emmy winner, long time Governor of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, lung cancer advocate, and so much more, regrets to announcy that Kathryn succumbed to her 11-year battle with lung cancer today, June 2, 2012, surrounded by love and humor til the end. Thanks to everyone for their love and support. We are laughing through our tears. We love you, Kathy, thanks for everything."

The actress, a former smoker, survived lung cancer in 2001 and had another cancerous growth removed from her lung in 2009.

The Emmy winner didn't start her acting career until she was 42, up until that point she worked as a psychiatric nurse. First she mainly got small roles in Dharma and Greg, My Name is Earl, and Ally McBeal. However, her role as plucky neighbor Karen McCluskey on Desperate Housewives' Wisteria Lane earned her the Outstanding Guest Actress Emmy both in 2005 and in 2008. Series creator Marc Cherry said of her character, "The character of Mrs. McCluskey was created for a single episode. We then cast Kathryn Joosten and she infused the part with so much feisty wit and curmudgeonly bravado, we knew we had to move her onto Wisteria Lane for the run of the series." When news of her passing broke, Marc Cherry said, "I will forever miss her, as a co-worker and as a friend."  Felicity Huffman tweeted, "All my pareyers and love to Katherine (sic) Joosten's family. Rest in peace, she was an amazing woman and a wonderful actress."