Shelley Fabares, singer, TV and movie actor, dies at 82

Mike Farrell, Shelley Fabares

FILE – Shelley Fabares (r) and husband Mike Farrell arrive at the premiere screening of SundanceTV’s “The Red Road”, on Monday, Feb. 24, 2014 in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision for SundanceTV/AP Images)

LOS ANGELES (WAKA) – Shelley Fabares, a beloved television actor known for roles on “The Donna Reed Show,” “One Day at a Time,” and “Coach,” has died at 82.

Her family announced her passing yesterday in Los Angeles, without specifying a cause.

Fabares’ singing career in the early 1960s included “Johnny Angel”, which went to number one in 1962, and later, “Johnny Loves Me” and “The Things We Did Last Summer.”

Fabares began acting as a child and gained fame as Mary Stone on “The Donna Reed Show” from 1958 to 1963. She also starred in three films with Elvis Presley. After playing Francine Webster on the CBS hit “One Day at a Time,” she played Christine Armstrong on the ABC hit comedy “Coach,” which ran from 1989 until 1997, and was twice nominated for an Emmy Award.

She was married to Mike Farrell, who starred in TV’s M*A*S*H.

Her family praised her kindness and spirit, noting her advocacy for Alzheimer’s awareness.

(Copyright 2026 The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

 

 

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