'Three's Company,' 'Step by Step' alum Suzanne Somers dead at 76

Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Three's Company and Step by Step actress Suzanne Somers has died at the age of 76.

"Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th. She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years," Somers' publicist R. Couri Hay said in a statement Sunday.

"Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family," Hay added. "Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16th. Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly."

The California native was known for her performances in She's the Sheriff and Serial Mom, as well as her guest spots in Bullitt, Daddy's Gone A-Hunting, Fools, American Graffiti, Starsky and Hutch, The Rockford Files and One Day at a Time.

Somers also was the author of more than two dozen books and a fixture in 1990s infomercials where she sold the ThighMaster exercise equipment.