Susan Saint James, ‘Kate & Allie’ star, dies at 80

Susan Saint James, the beloved actress known for her roles in Kate & Allie and McMillan & Wife, has died at age 80. The actress died on Monday, October 26. Her representative told People Magazine in a statement that Susan died after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer

Susan Saint James’ family remembers her as someone who was “generous with her time and energy, which she valued more than money, and instinctively drawn to whoever needed lifting up. She taught her children to pause, be kind and look out for other people,” according to People.

They continued, “She never met a stranger. Every person she met became the most important person in the room at that moment, from a fellow board member to the clerk at the shoe store, who usually walked away knowing her entire life story. Her defining act: weeks after losing her youngest son, Teddy, in the November 28, 2004 plane crash, she delivered his eulogy as a note to each of her other children and her husband, giving them words to heal.”

“Even in the deepest grief of her life, she put everyone else first. Days after the crash she sat with Tim Russert to thank the people who had reached out and to tell them the family was okay,” the family added

Born Susan Jane Miller in Los Angeles in 1946 but raised in Rockford, Illinois, Susan Saint James began her career as a model before moving to Hollywood at 20.

Susan Saint James dies at 80

Her breakthrough came with the television series The Name of the Game, which earned her an Emmy Award in 1969. She later starred alongside Rock Hudson in McMillan & Wife, playing Sally McMillan for five seasons.

However, Susan perhaps became best known for her role as Kate McArdle in the hit comedy series Kate & Allie. The show followed two divorced mothers who moved in together to raise their children and ran for five seasons, from 1984 to 1989.

After the series ended, Saint James decided to gradually step away from acting to focus on her family. In a 1993 interview with the Baltimore Sun, she explained her decision.

“The biggest part of my retirement from films and television is because my kids are at that age now where they need to be the stars of our family,” she said.

Susan Saint James met Dick Ebersol, then an executive producer of Saturday Night Live, in 1981 when she hosted the show. The couple fell deeply in love and tied the knot just 42 days after meeting.

They welcomed three sons together: Charles, William, and Edward, known as Teddy. Saint James also had two children, Sunshine and Harmony, from her previous marriage to Tom Lucas.

Lost her son in plane crash

However, in November 2004, the family suffered an unimaginable loss. A private plane carrying Ebersol and their sons Charles and Teddy crashed during takeoff in Colorado. Teddy, who was just 14 years old at the time, died in the accident. His father and brother survived, but were seriously injured.

As reported by People Magazine, after the crash, she told her children, “You can be sad, but you can’t be mad sad. God doesn’t make planes crash, and the pilots didn’t want to die. Being mad will rob you of being sad and this is very sad.”

Despite her own grief, Saint James found ways to support others. At her son’s funera funeral, she delivered a eulogy that included personal words of comfort for her husband and surviving children.

She also received thousands of letters from people offering condolences. Susan responded to 15,000 of them with handwritten notes.

Away from the Hollywood spotlight, Susan Saint James devoted much of her life to the Special Olympics. She joined the organization in the late 1960s and served on its international board.

Branded her 80th birthday “one fo the best two days of her entire life”

Moreover, the famed actress also organized charity events and explored other interests, including running a radio station and starting a baby gifts and books business.

In August 2026, she celebrated her 80th birthday surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and close friends.

Her family told People Magazine that Susan had described the celebrations as “one of the best two days of her entire life.”

Saint James is survived by her husband, Dick Ebersol; her four surviving children; seven grandchildren; and her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey.

Rest in peace, Susan. Our thoughts and prayers are with her loved ones.