Shelley Fabares' family have confirmed her cause of death just five days after they announced the actor's death at the age of 82. Fabares, who was best known for The Donna Reed Show and Coach, passed away from pneumonia.
Her grieving family told People magazine in a statement that she died on August 22 in the heart of Los Angeles, surrounded by her loved ones. The TV star had previously been diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis, a condition where the immune system attacks cells in the liver. To tackle the disease, she underwent a liver transplant in 2000.
Family's heartfelt tribute
The family's emotional statement began: "She was a devoted wife, cherished stepmother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, family member, and loyal friend whose warmth, generosity, humour, and grace made an enduring difference in the lives of everyone who knew her. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for."
Fabares was born in Santa Monica, California in 1944 and discovered her love of acting as a child. Her first television credit came when she was just 10 years old, when she appeared on The Loretta Young Show and soon rose to fame as Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show, where she appeared in nearly 200 episodes.
Rise to stardom and music success
The role helped launch her to stardom, prompting her to record the hit single Johnny Angel, which was featured on The Donna Reed Show before becoming a hit in its own right. The track went on to become a No. 1 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 in April 1962, and stayed at the top for two weeks. Across the pond, it reached No. 41 in the UK singles chart.
In the 1960s, she appeared opposite Elvis Presley in three films, Girl Happy in 1965, Spinout in 1966 and Clambake in 1967. She continued to work in television, appearing in various programmes such as The Twilight Zone, The Incredible Hulk, Fantasy Island, Mork & Mindy, The Love Boat, Newhart, and One Day at a Time.
Later career and personal life
She also played Brian Piccolo's wife in the acclaimed 1971 television film Brian's Song. The actress introduced herself to a new generation of viewers when she starred in the TV show, Coach. Fabares played Christine Armstrong, a reporter who married Craig Nelson's character, Hayden Fox, on the ABC sitcom.
The series ran for nine seasons before ending in 1997, and Farbares received two Primetime Emmy nominations for her performance. Away from the cameras, Fabares first married producer Lou Adler in 1964 and then M*A*S*H actor Mike Farrell in 1984. She was a committed advocate for Alzheimer's awareness, which affected her mother.
In early 1999, the starlet was rushed to the hospital for an oesophageal bleed, where doctors discovered she had progressive liver failure. After spending 22 months on a waiting list, she finally went under the knife for a liver transplant in 2000.
Fabares is survived by her husband, Mike Farrell, and her two stepchildren, Erin and Michael Farrell.
