Susan Saint James cause of death: Here's what happened to the ‘Kate & Allie’ and ‘McMillan & Wife’ star

Susan Saint James, the Emmy-winning actress known for her roles in Kate & Allie and McMillan & Wife, has died at the age of 80. Saint James's representative confirmed to PEOPLE that she died on Monday October 26. She was remembered by her family as a kind and generous person who always cared about others. Saint James was a mother and a loyal wife.

Susan Saint James’ cause of death

Saint James died following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, according to her representative, who confirmed the news to PEOPLE. She was 80. In a statement shared with PEOPLE, her family highlighted the compassion that defined her life.

“She was “generous with her time and energy, which she valued more than money, and instinctively drawn to whoever needed lifting up. She taught her children to pause, be kind and look out for other people.”


Her family also recalled how she supported her loved ones after the death of her youngest son, Teddy, in a plane crash on November 28, 2004.

“Her defining act: weeks after losing her youngest son, Teddy, in the November 28, 2004 plane crash, she delivered his eulogy as a note to each of her other children and her husband, giving them words to heal.”

The statement described how she continued to put others first even while grieving.

How did Susan Saint James become a television star?

Born Susan Jane Miller in Los Angeles in 1946, Saint James grew up in Rockford, Illinois. She developed an interest in acting early in life. In a 1977 interview with PEOPLE, she recalled seeing a Rhonda Fleming film at age seven and deciding, “I’d be a movie star, be friends with people in Hollywood, and have a legitimate reason to see Rock Hudson every day for five years.”

She began pursuing that dream in her twenties after changing her surname to Saint James and moving to Hollywood. One of her early film appearances was in Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows in 1968.

That same year, she joined the television series The Name of the Game. Her performance earned three Emmy nominations and one win.

In 1971, she joined McMillan & Wife, starring opposite Rock Hudson. She remained with the series for five seasons and received three additional Emmy nominations for the role.



Saint James later became widely known for Kate & Allie, further cementing her place in television history.

Who survives Susan Saint James?

Saint James is survived by her husband, Dick Ebersol, four children, Sunshine Lucas, Harmony Lucas, Charlie Ebersol and Willie Ebersol, seven grandchildren, her sister Mary Mercedes Dewey and her service dog, Lola, according to the family statement shared with PEOPLE.