Gwen Farrell Adair, the actress known for appearances on M*A*S*H and Starsky and Hutch, has died. She was 94.
Her son, Keith Farrell, confirmed that Adair died of natural causes on Thursday, April 30, in Sherman Oaks, California, according to TMZ.
Born in Austin, Texas, Adair made her television debut in 1972 when she appeared in the second episode of M*A*S*H as a nurse. What started as a single appearance turned into a recurring run on the long-running CBS comedy, which followed the staff of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War.
Over the course of the show’s 11 seasons, Adair appeared multiple times in different roles. According to Deadline, she played Nurses Gwen, Wilson, Butler and Able, along with an anesthesiologist, before the series wrapped in 1983.
She later appeared in a 1975 episode of Starsky and Hutch and in the 1977 film Billy Jack Goes to Washington. During the 1970s, she also picked up uncredited parts in films including The Towering Inferno, Earthquake and Black Gunn.
But Adair’s career reached well beyond acting.
Married to Los Angeles Police Department detective Frank Adair, she also became involved in the boxing world during the 1970s, managing fighters in Los Angeles. She later made history as the first woman to become a licensed boxing referee.
She also made her mark in business. Adair owned and operated Fatburger, the restaurant chain founded in 1947 by her mother, Lovie Yancey.
A GoFundMe created to help her family with funeral and memorial costs has raised more than $1,300 as of May 2.
In the fundraiser’s description, her family said her “journey was anything but ordinary,” adding that she will be remembered as someone who “lived a life full of strength, character and quiet resilience.”
“… Beyond her accomplishments, Gwen was so much more to her family,” the fundraiser’s organizer wrote. “She was a grandmother, a guiding light, and a steady source of love and wisdom. She had a way of making those around her feel supported, understood, and cared for without needing recognition.”
“Her passing leaves a deep void in our hearts, one that cannot be filled,” her family concluded. “We will miss her voice, her strength, and the quiet comfort she brought into our lives. While we are heartbroken, we are also incredibly grateful for the life she lived and the legacy she leaves behind.”
