Television has lost a beloved star, and one family has lost its guiding light. Susan Saint James has died at 80, according to a statement reported by People, leaving memories of laughter, kindness, and unimaginable grief. But behind her celebrated career lies a mother’s response to tragedy that makes her family’s farewell feel all the more personal and hear… Continues…

Susan Saint James and Jane Curtin attend an event, United States, circa 1980s. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
Susan Saint James died Monday, October 26, following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, her representative told People. The Emmy-winning actress earned recognition in The Name of the Game before becoming a familiar presence in McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie. Away from television, she increasingly chose time with her children over the spotlight. Her family remembered a woman whose generosity was measured in attention, compassion, and making everyone she encountered feel genuinely important.

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That compassion endured after her 14-year-old son, Teddy, died in a 2004 plane crash. At his funeral, she offered words of comfort to her husband, Dick Ebersol, and their surviving children, even while carrying her own devastating sorrow. A longtime Special Olympics supporter, she continued finding ways to lift others up. Her family said her 80th birthday celebration ranked among her happiest days. She leaves Ebersol, four children, seven grandchildren, and her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey.