Melba Rae

Melba Rae Toombs, known professionally as Melba Rae (1921/1922[1] in Willard, Utah – December 29, 1971 in Manhattan, was an American soap opera actress.

Melba Rae
Born1921/1922
Willard, Utah
DiedDecember 29, 1971(1971-12-29) (aged 54)
Manhattan, New York City
OccupationActress
Spouse(s)Gilbert Shawn (1955-1971)

Career

Rae was a key figure in early daytime television, playing the wife of the couple next door on Search for Tomorrow for 20 years — from its inception in 1951 until her untimely death of a cerebral hemorrhage at New York Hospital. Her character, Marge Bergman, was best friends with the main character of the series, Joanne (played by Mary Stuart).

Personal life

Rae, a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[2] was married to Gilbert Shawn (1921 — 2005) from September 2, 1955 until her death. The couple had a son and daughter. Their son, Eric Shawn, became a reporter for Fox News Channel. Gilbert Shawn moved to Orlando, Florida later in life, where he died at the age of 84.[3]

Death

On December 29, 1971, Rae died of a cerebral hemorrhage at New York Hospital in New York City, aged 49.[1]

References
  1. "Melba Rae Is Dead at 49; Starred in Serial on C. B. S." The New York Times. January 1, 1972. p. 22. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  2. "Biographies: Latter-day Saint and/Or Utah Film Personalities: R".
  3. Shawn, Gilbert S. 2005-10-16


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.