Susan Saint James spent decades making television audiences laugh, but the most powerful stories about her life came from the moments when the cameras were gone.
Even after enduring the devastating loss of her 14-year-old son, Teddy, in a 2004 plane crash, the beloved actress found ways to comfort her family and reach out to strangers who were grieving alongside them. Her family remembered a woman who valued kindness more than money and made everyone she encountered feel important, whether they were longtime friends or people she had just met.
Born Susan Jane Miller in Los Angeles in 1946 and raised in Rockford, Illinois, she began her career as a model before moving into acting at age 20. Her breakthrough arrived with The Name of the Game, earning her an Emmy Award in 1969, before roles in McMillan & Wife and the hit comedy Kate & Allie made her a familiar face in American homes. Now, at 80, the actress is being remembered not only for her celebrated career but also for the compassion that defined her private life.
Saint James became especially popular as Kate McArdle in Kate & Allie, which ran from 1984 to 1989 and followed two divorced mothers raising their families together. Yet as her children grew older, she began stepping away from Hollywood to give them more of her attention. In a 1993 interview, she explained that her children had reached an age when they needed to be the stars of their family.
Her own family life had begun changing years earlier, when she met Dick Ebersol, a television producer associated with Saturday Night Live, in 1981. The couple married just 42 days after meeting and built a blended family that included five children, four of whom survived her. But in November 2004, their lives were transformed when a private plane crashed during takeoff in Colorado, killing their youngest son, Teddy, while Ebersol and their son Charles survived with serious injuries. What Saint James did in the weeks that followed revealed a side of her that went far beyond her television fame.
Despite her own heartbreak, Saint James focused on helping her husband and children endure their loss. At Teddy’s funeral, she delivered a deeply personal eulogy that included words of comfort for each member of the family. She also responded by hand to approximately 15,000 letters from people offering condolences, turning their kindness into an opportunity to connect with others
. Her commitment to helping people extended well beyond that tragedy: she supported Special Olympics for decades, joined its international board, organized charitable events, and pursued ventures including a radio station and a baby-gifts business. Although she spent much of her life in the public eye, her greatest investment was often her time and energy. No financial estate, insurance policy, or professional achievement could measure the influence she had on the people who knew her, particularly those who experienced her generosity firsthand.
In her later years, Saint James continued to cherish the family she had worked so hard to nurture. In August 2026, she celebrated her 80th birthday with her children, grandchildren, and close friends, describing the festivities as among the happiest days of her life. Her family announced that she died on October 26 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to a statement reported by People. She is survived by her husband, Dick Ebersol, four surviving children, seven grandchildren, and her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey. Her journey included professional success, an unimaginable personal loss, and a lifelong dedication to lifting others up. For audiences who remember her performances, Susan Saint James will remain a familiar television presence; for her family and the many people she helped, her legacy will be the kindness she continued to offer even when life gave her every reason to turn inward.