Shelley Fabares, an actress who dominated television for decades from her days as a young teenager on “The Donna Reed Show” to her roles on “One Day at a Time” and “Coach,” has died. She was 82 years old.
He died Saturday in Los Angeles, his family said in a statement to The Associated Press. No reason was given.
“Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter and comfort to her family and friends,” her family wrote. “He had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued and cared for.”
Fabares was born in Santa Monica, California in 1944 and began acting as a young child. Her first television credit came at the age of 10 when she appeared on “The Loretta Young Show.” Several films and television shows followed: she starred with Paul Newman, Frank Sinatra and Eva Marie Saint in the Producers Showcase production of “Our Town”; Was in Rosalind Russell’s film “The Girl Rush” and Rock Hudson’s play “Never Say Goodbye”. Other early credits include “Annette,” “Captain Midnight” and the “Black Leather Jackets” episode of “The Twilight Zone.”
Her biggest break came when she was cast as Mary Stone on “The Donna Reed Show”, where she was a regular from 1958 to 1963. During that time he also received a recording contract and had two Top 40 hits, including “Johnny Angel”. In the early 1960s, she co-starred with Elvis Presley in three films: “Girl Happy,” “Spinout” and “Clambake.”
“I think the years of ‘The Donna Reed Show’, the years from 14 to 19, were so incredibly important,” Fabares told the Los Angeles Times in 1993. “Donna Reed was simply an extraordinary woman, a woman of great strength, kindness, integrity and compassion. I’m not trying to make her look like a saint, but she had the deepest impact on me. I carry her with me to this day.”
In the late 1970s, Fabares made her mark as Francine Webster on the CBS sitcom “One Day at a Time.” She also played James Caan’s wife in “Brian’s Song”. One of her biggest roles came when she was cast as Christine Armstrong in “Coach”, although it took a minute for the show to find its audience.
“I felt from the beginning that if they could find the right place for us, it would be a show that would be around for a long time,” he said in a 1993 Los Angeles Times interview.
Fabares married twice, first to producer Lou Adler in 1964. She has been married to “MASH” actor Mike Farrell since 1984. She was also a dedicated advocate for Alzheimer’s awareness, an influence that rubbed off on her mother.
In early 1999, a visit to the emergency room due to bleeding from the esophagus revealed that his liver failure was gradually progressing. After spending 22 months on the waiting list, he underwent liver transplant surgery in October 2000.
In an interview with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles three years after the transplant, she said she was “changed by the experience” and was forever grateful to Farrell who was with her “every step of the way.”
Her family said in their statement, “We will remember Shelley for her kindness, loyalty, intelligence, courage and beautiful spirit. We will miss her deeply – not only as a renowned artist, but as the beloved and extraordinary person she was in our everyday lives.”
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