Gwen Farrell Adair, the actress known for playing various nurses on M*A*S*H, has died. She was 94.
Adair’s son announced that she died of natural causes on Thursday in Sherman Oaks.
Born in Austin, Texas, Farrell made her onscreen debut in the second episode of M*A*S*H in 1972, appearing on the CBS war comedy drama as various nurses throughout the show’s 11-season run that concluded in 1983.
During her time on the show, she played Nurses Gwen, Wilson, Butler and Able, as well as an anesthesiologist.
Farrell, who was married to LAPD Detective Frank Adair, also appeared in a 1975 episode of Starsky & Hutch, as well as movies like Black Gunn (1972), Soylent Green (1973), Coffy (1973), Earthquake (1974), Towering Inferno (1974) and Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977).
In addition to acting, Farrell began managing Los Angeles boxers in the 1970s and became the first female licensed referee in ’79. She also owned and operated a Fatburger, which her mother Lovie Yancey founded in 1947.
“But beyond her accomplishments, Gwen was so much more to her family,” Farrell’s family wrote in a GoFundMe created for her funeral expenses. “She was a grandmother, a guiding light, and a steady source of love and wisdom. She had a way of making those around her feel supported, understood, and cared for without needing recognition.”
The family added, “Her passing leaves a deep void in our hearts, one that cannot be filled. We will miss her voice, her strength, and the quiet comfort she brought into our lives. While we are heartbroken, we are also incredibly grateful for the life she lived and the legacy she leaves behind.”
