Dr. Ruth Westheimer, whose grandmotherly approach as a sex therapist made her a pop icon in the 1980s, died Friday in New York City at home at age 96.

Her publicist, Pierre Lehu, who co-authored books with Westheimer, confirmed her death.

“She was restful when she passed away. Her son and daughter were with her and holding her hand at that moment,” Lehu told People, adding, “It was as peacefully as she could possibly go. It’s amazing, there was stuff still going on in her life [she has a book coming out this fall with Allison Gilbert] and someone wants to make a biopic about her.”

Born Karola Ruth Siegel on June 4, 1928, in Wiesenfeld, Germany, she lost her entire family during World War II. Her father, Julius, was taken away by the Nazis in 1938. Six weeks later, she was on a train to Switzerland as part of the ‘”kindertransport,” the organized escape of thousands of Jewish children out of Germany.