Patricia Arquette on What Really Ended Sister Alexis's Career

Alexis Arquette's acting career was cut short "not by her passing, but by her decision to live her truth and her life as a transgender woman," one of her sisters, Oscar-winning actress Patricia Arquette, wrote on Facebook Sunday.

Alexis -- who appeared in films as diverse as Last Exit to Brooklyn and The Wedding Singer -- died Sunday morning at age 47, following a long battle with an HIV-related illness, according to People. Alexis was surrounded by her family, which included siblings Rosanna (pictured, left), David, Richmond, and Patricia (pictured, right, with Alexis, center).

Both Richmond and Patricia shared their feelings about their sibling on Facebook. In her message, Patricia blasted transphobia and asked for donations to LGBT organizations in lieu of flowers or other gifts. Patricia also praised her sister's refusal to take roles that demeaned transgender people. Read her message below, via Richmond's Facebook page.

It's clear that Alexis was struggling with a dearth of substantial acting work after she transitioned in the 2000s; her IMDB page lists roles like "Strange, Yet Attractive Woman" in 2003's The Movie Hero with Jeremy Sisto, and even "Tranny" in 2005's Lords of Dogtown with Heath Ledger and Emile Hirsch.