Susan Saint James, Emmy-winning actress known for 'Kate & Allie', dies at 80
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Emmy Award winner Susan Saint James, known for some of television’s most memorable shows, has died at the age of 80.
Best known for her roles in 'Kate & Allie' and 'McMillan & Wife', Saint James died on October 26 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Apart from her work on screen, she was remembered as a devoted mother, wife and friend who spent much of her life helping others.
Actress Susan Saint James dies at 80
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, her family remembers Saint James as “generous with her time and energy, which she valued more than money, and instinctively drawn to whoever needed lifting up. She taught her children to pause, be kind and look out for other people.”
They continued, “She never met a stranger. Every person she met became the most important person in the room at that moment, from a fellow board member to the clerk at the shoe store, who usually walked away knowing her entire life story. Her defining act: weeks after losing her youngest son, Teddy, in the November 28, 2004 plane crash, she delivered his eulogy as a note to each of her other children and her husband, giving them words to heal. Even in the deepest grief of her life, she put everyone else first."
"Days after the crash, she sat with Tim Russert to thank the people who had reached out and to tell them the family was okay," they added.
The statement concluded, “She brought that same fire and positivity to everything that followed, and never lost it. She is survived by her husband, Dick Ebersol, her four children- Sunshine Lucas, Harmony Lucas, Charlie Ebersol and Willie Ebersol- her seven grandchildren; her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey, as well as her beloved service dog, Lola.”
Jane Curtin pays tribute to 'Kate & Allie' co-star and friend Susan Saint James
Her longtime friend and 'Kate & Allie' co-star Jane Curtin following her death from cancer at the age of 80. Curtin reflected on their time working together. “We lost a decent person today,” the actress wrote in a statement to Page Six.
“Susan St James was a decent person who made ‘Kate and Allie’ a joy,” she continued. “She juggled a really full life from the Ed Sullivan Theater in between working on stage and being the Mom on set. She worked tirelessly for organizations she believed in like the Special Olympics,” Curtin, 79, added.
“All the while raising children and going through the horrors of losing a child,” the Coneheads star continued, referring to Saint James’ youngest son, Teddy, who died in a private jet crash at the age of 14 in 2004.
“Susan was my friend, and working with her brought such laughter, community and family to the stage at the Ed Sullivan Theater,” Curtin concluded. “I’ll miss her.”
