Oscar-winning film editor Marcia Lucas, who was one of the creative forces behind 1977’s Star Wars, died of cancer at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, on Wednesday. She was 80.

The death was confirmed by the family’s attorney, as per Variety.

“Marcia will be remembered as a brilliant storyteller, a trailblazer for women in film, a loving mother and grandmother, a generous host, and a loyal friend whose humor and sparkle filled every room she entered. Her influence on film is indelible, but those who knew her best will remember the way she made life feel more vivid, more beautiful, more fun, and more full of love,” the family statement said.

“Her work was known for its emotional intelligence, rhythm, and humanity — a rare ability to find the truth of a scene and bring heart, momentum, and clarity to the screen,” it added.

Lucas, the former wife of filmmaker George Lucas, won the Academy Award for editing the 1977 blockbuster Star Wars. Though George Lucas became the public face of the franchise, Marcia Lucas played a significant role behind the scenes in shaping the original trilogy, particularly the first film released in 1977.

In his book The Secret History of Star Wars, writer Michael Kaminski wrote that Marcia Lucas was among the few people whose criticism George Lucas took seriously during the making of the film.

“Marcia, along with many of George’s friends, critiqued which characters worked, which ones didn’t, which scenes were good, and Lucas composed the script in this way. Marcia was always critical of Star Wars, but she was one of the few people Lucas listened to carefully, knowing she had a skill for carving out strong characters,” Kaminski wrote.

George Lucas himself acknowledged her creative inputs in a 1977 interview with Rolling Stone. He revealed that it was Marcia’s idea to have Obi-Wan Kenobi die aboard the Death Star.

Born Marcia Lou Griffin in Modesto, California, she grew up in North Hollywood and began her career as a film librarian before entering the Editors Guild apprenticeship programme.

She met George Lucas while both were working with legendary editor Verna Fields. The two married in 1969, and Marcia later worked as assistant editor on George Lucas’ debut feature THX 1138.

Apart from Star Wars, she worked on several acclaimed films during the New Hollywood era, including American Graffiti and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. She also supervised the editing of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and New York, New York.

Marcia and George Lucas divorced in 1983. She later married Tom Rodrigues, a production manager at Skywalker Ranch. The marriage ended in 1993.

She is survived by daughters Amanda Lucas and Amy Soper; grandchildren Felix Hallikainen, Aeliana Hallikainen and Knox Soper; and her chosen family Sarah Dyer and Jon Taylor.