The cause of death of “Kate & Allie” star Susan Saint James has been confirmed more than a week after she passed away at the age of 80.
The actress died Oct. 26 of metastatic pancreatic cancer, according to a death certificate obtained by People.
The outlet also reports that she died just months after receiving her diagnosis.
Saint James’ rep confirmed her death in a statement to People on Oct. 27, with her family remembering her as someone who was “generous with her time and energy, which she valued more than money, and instinctively drawn to anyone who needed to be uplifted.”
“She taught her children to take a break, to be kind and to look out for others. »
The statement added that she “never met a stranger,” noting that “every person she met became the most important person in the room at that moment, from a fellow board member to the shoe store clerk, who usually left knowing her entire life story.”
“She brought that same fire and positivity to everything that followed, and never lost it,” the statement continued.
The statement ends by listing those she leaves behind: “her husband, Dick Ebersol; his four children, Sunshine Lucas, Harmony Lucas, Charlie Ebersol and Willie Ebersol; his seven grandchildren; his sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey; as well as his beloved service dog, Lola. »
Saint James celebrated his 80th birthday in August, just months before his death.
She was seen at a birthday party at her home in Los Angeles in what would become her last photos before her death.
For the occasion, she wore a white “Spiritual Gangster” T-shirt, a floral tennis skirt and sneakers, accessorizing her look with sunglasses and a red headband.
Following her death, Saint James’ family shared more details about her milestone birthday with People, revealing that she spent it surrounded by her children and grandchildren.
The night before, she had attended a Doobie Brothers concert, where the band – with whom Saint James had toured in the ’70s and ’80s – dedicated their song “Black Water,” which was her late son Teddy’s favorite song, to her.
The celebrations continued the next day with a birthday party in the garden of her Los Angeles home, attended by her entire family, including her husband.
According to his family, Saint James told them it was “one of the two best days of his entire life.”
Saint James was best known for her roles in “McMillan & Wife,” in which she starred alongside Rock Hudson and for which she received three Emmy nominations, and “Kate & Allie,” in which she starred alongside Jane Curtin and earned two additional nominations before the series ended in 1989.
Following Saint James’ death, Curtin, 79, paid tribute to his late friend and co-star, telling Page Six in a statement: “We lost a decent person today. »
“Susan Saint James was an honest person who made ‘Kate & Allie’ a joy. She juggled a very busy life at the Ed Sullivan Theater between working on stage and being a mom on set,” her statement continued.
“She worked tirelessly for organizations she believed in, like the Special Olympics, while raising children and going through the horrors of losing a child,” Curtin added, referring to Saint James’s youngest child, Teddy, who died in a private plane crash at age 14 in 2004.
“Susan was my friend, and working with her brought so much laughter, community and family to the stage of the Ed Sullivan Theater. I will miss her,” Curtin concluded.
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