Hollywood actress and singer Shelley Fabares has died at the age of 82. Her family confirmed her passing; she had been battling various health issues.
Her family informed the media that she passed away in Los Angeles on Saturday. No cause of death was disclosed.
Family in mourning
The family of Shelley, who made a name for herself through projects like The Donna Reed Show and One Day at a Time, wrote: “To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, courage, laughter, and comfort. She had an amazing ability to make people feel a sense of belonging, importance, and care.”
Who was Shelley?
Fabares was born in 1944 in Santa Monica, California. She began acting as a child. She landed her first television role at the age of 10 in The Loretta Young Show. She worked alongside Paul Newman, Frank Sinatra and Eva Marie Saint in a Producers’ Showcase production of Our Town.
She also appeared in Rosalind Russell’s film The Girl Rush and the Rock Hudson drama Never Say Goodbye. Her early work included Annette, Captain Midnight and the Twilight Zone episode “Black Leather Jackets”.
Shelley Fabares’s career
Shelley Fabares built a career that spanned more than five decades, moving between television, film and music. She became a household name as Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show before taking on roles in series such as One Day at a Time and Coach. During the 1960s, she also appeared opposite Elvis Presley in films including Girl Happy, Spinout and Clambake. Her performance as Christine Armstrong in Coach earned her two Primetime Emmy nominations. Fabares continued working in television through the 1990s and later voiced Martha Kent in the 2006 animated film Superman: Brainiac Attacks.
Shelley Fabares was married twice
Fabares was married twice. She first married producer Lou Adler in 1964. In 1984, she married MASH actor Mike Farrell. She was also a strong advocate for raising awareness about Alzheimer’s disease, as her mother had been affected by it.
Underwent a liver transplant
In early 1999, a visit to the emergency room due to oesophageal bleeding revealed that she was suffering from liver failure. After remaining on the waiting list for 22 months, she underwent a liver transplant in October 2000.
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