The star of “Home Alone” and “Beetlejuice” died Friday at age 71.

Catherine O’Hara’s family reveals plans to honor comedy legend after her death

The star of "Home Alone" and "Beetlejuice" died Friday at age 71.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

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January 30, 2026 9:13 p.m. ET

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Bo Welch and Catherine O'Hara attend the Golden Globes. Credit:

Michael Buckner/GG2025/Penske Media via Getty

Catherine O'Hara's family is sharing how they plan to honor the comedy legend after her death at 71.

The beloved *Schitt's Creek* actress was mourned by fans and former colleagues on Friday in the hours following news that she died following a following a brief illness. The Emmy winner's relatives also noted in a statement to * *that "a private celebration of life will be held by the family" to honor the star of movies including *Home Alone *and *Home Alone 2*, *Beetlejuice*, and *Best in Show*.

O'Hara's survivors include her husband Bo Welch and their sons, Matthew and Luke, as well as the actresses' siblings Michael O’Hara; Mary Margaret O’Hara; Maureen Jolley; Marcus O‘Hara; Tom O’Hara; and Patricia Wallice.

Catherine O'Hara, husband Bo Welch, and family at 'The Cat In The Hat' premiere in 2003.

SGranitz/WireImage

*The Studio* actress met her husband on the set of the 1998 comedy *Beetlejuice, *in which she played eccentric sculptor Delia Deetz opposite Michael Keaton's title character and Winona Ryder as Delia's moody stepdaughter Lydia. Welch was the production designer on the film.**

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O'Hara previously spoke about the movie's director, Tim Burton, having played a key part in getting the pair together, when he nudged Welch to ask the actress out. She had actually been complaining that he hadn't yet, she told *InStyle *in January 2018.

"Our first day of shooting at the [Deetz] house was the day that Bo finally asked me out, so that’s what I see when I look at the scenes we shot there," O'Hara told the magazine. "Matchmaking Tim Burton!"

Catherine O'Hara in 'Beetlejuice'. Warner Bros.

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The Canada native moved to Los Angeles to be with Welch, she told the *New Yorker* in January 2019. The couple married in 1992 and had two sons, Matthew and Luke, in 1994 and 1997, respectively.

Welch has continued to work in Hollywood. He and O'Hara both returned for Burton's sequel, *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice*, in 2024, which also starred Keaton, Ryder, and newcomers Jenna Ortega and Justin Theroux.

Burton posted a tribute to the actress on Friday afternoon, alongside an image of himself with the stars on the set of the sequel film. "Catherine, I love you," he wrote, "This picture shows how much light you gave to all of us. You were a special part of my life and after life."

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