Susan Buckner, finest identified for taking part in peppy Rydell Excessive College cheerleader Patty Simcox within the 1978 traditional film musical Grease, has died. She was 72.
Buckner “died peacefully” on Could 2 and was “surrounded by family members,” in line with a press release despatched to CNN on Tuesday from her household’s publicist Melissa Berthier. A reason for dying was not supplied.
“Susan might be remembered for her kindness, generosity and unwavering dedication to creating a constructive affect within the lives of others,” Berthier’s assertion learn.
“Her effervescent spirit will proceed to encourage generations of performers and followers alike.”
The Washington native performed Simcox, the energetic and bubbly cheerleader who served because the embodiment of college spirit at Grease‘s fictional Rydell Excessive, alongside Olivia Newton-John’s iconic character Sandy.
Previous to Grease, Buckner was a pageant queen in 1971, when she was topped Miss Washington, later representing the state of Washington within the Miss American pageant.
Within the early Seventies, she went on to look on episodes of The Dean Martin Present, Police Girl and Swap. Buckner later put her musical abilities on show whereas showing as a dancer and synchronised swimmer on The Brady Bunch Selection Hour in 1976.
All through the late Seventies and into the Nineteen Eighties, Buckner appeared in a variety of TV collection together with Starsky and Hutch, The Love Boat, and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, and co-starred within the ABC collection When the Whistle Blows alongside Dolph Candy.
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She additionally appeared on the massive display within the 1981 Wes Craven-directed horror movie Lethal Blessing reverse Sharon Stone. Her ultimate credit score, in line with her IMDb web page, is taking part in a information reporter within the 1989 movie Police Academy 6: Metropolis Beneath Seige.
In her later years, in line with a biography supplied by Buckner’s publicist, she stepped away from Hollywood to give attention to being a mother to her two kids, Adam Josephs and Samantha Mansfield. Buckner additionally grew to become a theatre teacher for younger kids and taught dance in Coral Gables for practically a decade.
She is survived by her associate Al, her sister Linda, her two kids and 4 grandchildren.
“She was magic. She was my finest pal. And I’ll miss her every single day,” Mansfield stated in a press release shared with CNN.
“I used to be fortunate I had such a lighting rod of a mom and now I’ve her as an angel.”