Farrah Fawcett, 62, died Thursday morning at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, after a nearly three year bout with anal cancer. Ryan O’Neal, her longtime companion was with her.

“After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away,” O’Neal said. “Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world.”

NBC’s “Farrah’s Story,” which aired last month, chronicled the “Charlie’s Angels” star’s painful treatments and dispiriting battle with the ailment.

“Farrah had courage, she had strength, and she had faith. And now she has peace as she rests with the real angels,” Jaclyn Smith, her “Angels” co-star said.

And Cheryl Ladd added, “She was incredibly brave, and God will be welcoming her with open arms.”

In the mid 1970s Fawcett emerged as the hottest sex symbol in the entertainment industry selling revealing posters by millions and her layered, feathery hairstyle becoming a certified phenomenon.

Born Feb. 2, 1947, in Corpus Christi, Texas, she was named Mary Farrah Leni Fawcett by her mother, who explained that she added the Farrah because it sounded good with Fawcett. As a student at the University of Texas at Austin, she was voted one of the 10 most beautiful people on the campus and her photos were eventually spotted by movie publicist David Mirisch, who suggested she pursue a film career. And the rest is history.