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Tragic Amanda Peterson's family shares touching video tribute to Can't Buy Me Love star as they mourn her passing at 43

Published: 17:44 EST, 13 July 2015 | Updated: 21:30 EST, 13 July 2015

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A family member has shared a touching and poignant video tribute to can't Buy Me Love star Amanda Peterson who died last week at the age of 43.

The actress' brother Jim Peterson, the pastor of a Baptist church in Michigan, posted the five-minute long photo and video montage on Facebook saying it was the tribute played at her memorial on Saturday.

The video opened with her name, the dates of her birth and death, and the message: 'Precious child of God, now home & free!'

Scroll down for video

Touching tribute: Amanda Peterson's brother James Peterson posted a video montage on his Facebook page that was played at the actress' memorial service on Saturday

Happy youngster: The video included family photos of Amanda as a child, like this one showing her with her older sister Anne Marie

Here's the video we played today at Mandy's memorial.
Posted by Jim Peterson on Saturday, July 11, 2015

The memorial clips are set to music - Eddie Vedder's Rise - and show a pretty girl in braids, a bubbly teen, a child star and a smiling sister.

Amanda was found dead in her apartment in Geeley, Colorado, on Monday July 5, three days before her 44th birthday. A cause of death is still pending.

In the years before her tragic death, Amanda - or Mandy as she was known by close family and friends - was arrested four times between 2000 and 2012, most recently for DUI and possession of narcotic equipment under the name Priscilla Peterson in 2012.

The other arrests were in 2000, 2003, and 2005.

Teen star: At 16, Amanda starred opposite Patrick Dempsey in Can't Buy Me Love which became the sleeper hit of the summer of 1987

Icons: Amanda - and Patrick - became huge teen idols as a result of the high school romantic comedy

The actress quit Hollywood in 1994 after making the film Windrunner and returned home to her family in Colorado.

She was married, and divorced, twice and had two children.

She had two older siblings, brother James Jr. and sister Anne Marie.

Young talent: Amanda made her stage debut at seven and was nine when she landed her first professional acting role, as one of the orphans in the film musical Annie

In demand: She appeared in a string of TV shows in the early 1980s

Family star: Amanda was one of three children - she's seen here with older brother James Jr. and older sister Anne Marie in this family snap used in her memorial tribute

Her father James Peterson, a physician, acknowledged that life had been tough for his famous daughter, telling the Denver Post her combination of talent and beauty had been 'a double-edged sword.'

'We've come to peace with it because we know she's had a difficult life,' he said. 'She's had issues. It is a blessing she is now at peace.'

Amanda - or Mandy as she was known by close family and friends - began her film career aged nine as one of the orphans in the musical Annie, having auditioned for and almost landing the lead role.

Her part was supposed to be minor and largely background, but she gained notice with her delivery of just one line during the film's popular song Sandy.

Blonde and pretty: Amanda's looks got her noticed from an early age

Talent: She also had the ability to light up the screen

A natural: She was the kind of girl that other teens could relate to

The late Amanda Peterson stars in film Can't Buy Me Love

Struggles: The actress quit Hollywood in 1994 and moved back home to Colorado

At age 14, she starred alongside River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke in the sci-fi fantasy Explorers, which marked the film debuts of both actors.

She also appeared in episodes of Father Murphy, Silver Spoons, and played Sunny Sisk in the NBC drama series A Year In The Life.

Peterson said his daughter had been involved in drugs but was 'working diligently on her health' and that her sudden death had come as 'a great shock.'

A longtime friend of the actress Tawnya Bowie told People magazine: 'She was our Mandy and I loved her no matter what. People always have a past; no one is ever perfect.'

Fame: Amanda was shown talking about her famous role during the video tribute put together by her family

Remembered: Family and friends gathered Saturday to remember Amanda, who died suddenly just days before her 44th birthday on July 8

Troubled: Amanda was arrested four times between 2000 and 2012 for DUI and narcotic equipment possession. She's shown here in her mug shot following her 2012 arrest