Shelley Fabares, 'The Donna Reed Show' star and Elvis Presley co-star, dies at 82

Shelley Fabares, the actress known for playing Mary Stone on “The Donna Reed Show” and starring opposite Elvis Presley in three films, has died. She was 82.

Her family, including husband Mike Farrell of “M*A*S*H,” announced that Fabares died Saturday in Los Angeles “surrounded by those who loved her.” “To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter, and comfort,” the family said in a statement. “We are heartbroken by her loss, yet profoundly grateful for the years we shared with her.”

Born January 19, 1944, in Santa Monica, Fabares began acting at age 3 and made her TV debut at 10 in a 1954 episode of “The Loretta Young Show.” She played Mary Stone on the ABC sitcom “The Donna Reed Show” from 1958 to 1965. During that run she also had a recording career: her single “Johnny Angel” reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1962 and sold over a million copies.

Fabares later starred as Christine Armstrong opposite Craig T. Nelson on “Coach,” which ran nine seasons from 1989 to 1997 and earned her two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. On film, she starred opposite Presley in “Girl Happy” (1965), “Spinout” (1966), and “Clambake” (1967); her other credits included “The Bad Seed” (1956) and “Hot Pursuit” (1987).

Deadline reported her death, citing her family.