Emmy-winning actress Susan Saint James dies at 80 after pancreatic cancer battle

Susan Saint James died on Monday at age 80 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her death. Known for her Emmy-winning performance as Sally McMillan opposite Rock Hudson and later as one of the titular mothers in “Kate & Allie” with Jane Curtin, she amassed several Emmy nominations throughout her career. Born Susan Jane Miller in Los Angeles and raised in Rockford, Illinois, she broke through in the late 1960s on one outlet’s “The Name of the Game.”

After “Kate & Allie” ended in 1989, she made occasional TV appearances, including on “Law & Order: SVU” and “Suits.” The family remembered her as a selfless person who comforted others even after her son Teddy’s 2004 plane-crash death, and noted her long-standing support for the Special Olympics. She was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008 and is survived by husband Dick Ebersol, four children and seven grandchildren.