Television star Judy Farrell has passed away. Per TMZ, Farrell, who rose to fame with her role as Nurse Able in M*A*S*H, died on Sunday, according to her son Michael. Farrell suffered a stroke nine days prior and had since been hospitalized, and while she was “consciously alert” and able to respond to her loved ones, she couldn’t physically speak with them because of the stroke. She was 84 years old.
Farrell was born Judy Hayden in Oklahoma on May 11, 1938. She married actor Mike Farrell in 1963. Between 1976 an 1983, she would appear in eight episodes of M*A*S*H as Nurse Able, including an appearance in the record-breaking series finale. Her husband Mike was also cast in a key role in the series as B.J. Hunnicutt, and his real-life relationship was subtly referenced on the show. This includes Hunnicutt having a daughter named Erin in the series, as the Farrells had in real life. The two had two children together, Michael and Erin, before going on to get divorced in 1983.
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“Judy is a beautiful woman, a talented actress and a wonderful writer,” Mike Farrell said in a statement addressing his former wife’s passing. “A jock, a rabid basketball, baseball and football fan, she had a great sense of humor that drew people to her, and laughter was the background music whenever she was nearby. She was loved by so many. She will be deeply loved by all of us, forever.”
With a creative side, Judy Farrell had also worked as a writer, penning more than a dozen episodes of the soap opera series Port Charles. Aside from her role on M*A*S*H, Farrell also had a recurring role in the 1980s series Fame as Charlotte Miller. Her other TV credits include roles in Emergency!, Room 222, The Rookies, The Partridge Family, Quincy M.E., and Divorce Court. Her final role as an actress came in 2006, about two decades after her last performance on TV, with a role in the movie Long-Term Relationship.
Related: M*A*S*H Stars Mike Farrell and Alan Alda Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Premiere Episode
Judy Farrell Appeared in the Record-Breaking Final Episode of M*A*S*H
CBS
Farrell’s passing comes weeks after the 40th anniversary of the final episode of M*A*S*H, which brought back Nurse Able for one last appearance. When the episode aired live in 1983, it pulled in more than 105 million viewers in the United States, surpassing the then-record as the most watched broadcast in TV history. It held that record until 2010, broken by that year’s Super Bowl.
Farrell’s survivors include her husband, Joe Bratcher, with whom she’s been married since 1985, as well as her two children, Michael and Erin. Our thoughts are with them at this painful time. Rest in peace, Judy Farrell.
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