What happened to Norman Zeidler? Adelia Zeidler’s husband and George Clooney’s brother-in-law passed away in 2004

George Clooney's sister Adelia Zeidler, who was married to Norman Zeidler, has passed away. According to People Magazine, Adelia Zeidler had been battling cancer for the past few years and died earlier this week, on Friday, December 19. Adelia Zeidler was previously married to retired army captain Norman Zeidler until his death in 2004 due to complications from a sudden heart attack at the age of 47.

Adelia Zeidler was born in 1960 to celebrated journalist Nick Clooney and writer Nine Bruce Warren. According to People Magazine, Adelia, known to most as Ada, led a private life away from the spotlight unlike her parents and famous brother George Clooney. Following her death, George Clooney released a statement in which he called her his "hero." He said:

"My sister, Ada, was my hero. She faced down cancer with courage and humor. I’ve never met anyone so brave. Amal and I will miss her terribly."

More about Adelia Zeidler's husband Norman Zeidler, as George Clooney's older sister passes away

Norman Zeidler, whose full name was Norman Monroe Robert Zeidler, was born in Cincinnati on December 28, 1956, to Elsie May Moore Zeidler and William Robert Zeidler. Not much is known about his early or professional life, apart from the fact that he was a retired army captain.

According to reports, Norman Zeidler met Adelia Clooney, after which the couple tied the knot in a simple ceremony attended by their extended friends and family. According to People Magazine, the couple married in Adelia's hometown of Agusta, Kentucky on March 14, 1987.

Adelia and Norman Zeidler were married for 17 years during which they welcomed two children, a son Nicholas and a daughter, Allison. According to The Northerner, on morning of October 11, Zeidler suffered a massive heart attack, leading to his untimely death. This tragic incident happened at a time when Adelia Zeidler's father, Nick Clooney, was preparing to take part in a debate against the then-Republican nominee Geoff Davis representing Kentucky's 4th Congressional District.

The debate was initially postponed in the wake of the sudden tragedy, during which Nick Clooney released a statement requesting everyone to keep his daughter and two grandchildren in their prayers.

Norman Zeidler, who is now interred at the Petersberg Cemetery in Kentucky, at that time preceded both of his parents in death. His mother, Elsie Zeidler, passed away in 2012 at the age of 92, whereas his father William Zeidler, passed away in 2006, at the age of 90. Following Norman's death, Adelia Zeidler raised the couple's two children on her own, working as a bookkeeper.

Adelia Zeidler, who was preceded in death by her husband Norman Zeidler by 21 years, is now survived by her two children, her brother, and several members of her extended family members.