RIP Shelley Fabares

[sprite75]

RIP Shelley Fabares

Shelley Fabares, an actor who was a fixture on television for decades from her days as a young teenager on "The Donna Reed Show," through "One Day at a Time" and "Coach," has died. She was 82.

She died Saturday in Los Angeles, her family said in a statement to The Associated Press. No cause was given.

Her biggest break came when she was cast as Mary Stone on "The Donna Reed Show," where she was a regular from 1958 through 1963. During that time she also got a recording contract and had two Top 40 hits, including "Johnny Angel." In the early 1960s, she also co-starred in three movies with Elvis Presley: "Girl Happy," "Spinout" and "Clambake."

In the late 1970s, Fabares made an impression as Francine Webster on the CBS sitcom "One Day at a Time." She also played James Caan's wife in "Brian's Song." One of her biggest roles came when she was cast as Christine Armstrong in "Coach," although the show took a minute to find its audience.