Ruby Dee, a performer equally known for her work as a civil rights activist and acting roles, died on Wednesday inside her home in New Rochelle, New York, at the age of 91. Dee will be remembered for a career that spanned seven decades on both the stage and screen.

Dee had frequently appeared with her late husband Ossie Davis, who she met while both were working on a Broadway play in 1946. The pair wed in 1948 and were inseparable until the death of Davis in 2005.

Jonelle Procope, president and CEO of the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, gave a heartfelt tribute to Dee, her life and her work to USA Today. “It was so poignant, she was so beautiful and articulate and one of our greatest entertainers. We were so honored to have her with us as long as we did.

“Both Ruby and Ossie not only made really significant contributions to the arts, but they were also good citizens of the world, activism, their social responsibility — that was just as important to them as the art. They were always on the forefront of social issues. They led by example. That’s the way they lived their lives.”

During their long careers, Dee and Davis appeared together in five films and 11 stage productions, but always found time to promote the cause of blacks in entertainment as well as other civil rights issues. The couple acted as masters of ceremonies for the 1963 March on Washington and served on the board of the Apollo Theater.

After winning an Emmy and being nominated for numerous other awards, Dee finally received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her role in the 2007 film American Gangster. She provided the voice of Mother Sister in the 1989 Spike Lee Film Do the Right Thing, and the filmmaker shared his memories of Dee via Instagram.

“I’m crushed by this bad news and I know Ruby has already been embraced in a warm, loving hug from her life partner of 57 years — Mr. Ossie Davis. It has been one of my great blessings in life to work with two of the finest artists and activists — Ruby and Ossie were in the battlefields.

“Ruby And Ossie served as a living example that one could be an artist and activist too,” Lee added. “The both of you told us, ‘To always do the right thing.’”

For the last 91 years, Ruby Dee had done just that.