Actress Mercedes Shirley of Broadway and TV died Jan. 29 of natural causes at her home in Sherman Oaks. She was 71.

On Broadway, she performed with such stars as Paul Newman and Karl Malden in “Desperate Hours,” Bea Arthur in “Heartbreak House” and Raymond Massey and Grace Kelly in “The Father.” She appeared in stock presentations of “A Streetcar Named Desire” with Dennis Weaver” and “Period of Adjustment” with Robert Vaughn.

She essayed roles in numerous TV shows including “Playhouse 90,” “Have Gun Will Travel,” “Bonanza,” “Thriller,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Father Knows Best,” “Mod Squad,” “Trapper John, M.D.” and a recurring stint on “The Cara Williams Show.”

Ever busy in Los Angeles, she garnered Drama-Logue awards for her perfs in “The Dresser” (1996) and “Deathtrap” (1994). Additionally, she taught at the Ameri-can Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and for nearly a decade at the Stella Adler Academy in Los Angeles.

Popular on Variety

She is survived by her husband, Robert Pender; two sons, a grandson and a brother.

A memorial service will be held Friday, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the ballroom at the Beverly Garland Hotel, 4222 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood.

Family suggests contributions in her name be made to the Mercedes Pendeer Me-morial Arts Fund, 6127 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91606.

Read More About:

Jump to Comments

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9mhnqFjqyanqaVZL2mu8%2BlnGamlazAcLnEq5qenJWoerS0yKujnrFdZn5yg5dxaXFqZGQ%3D