‘Grease’ Star Dead at 72: Susan Buckner Played Patty Simcox

Susan Buckner, who played Rydell High cheerleader Patty Simcox opposite Olivia Newton-John in the 1978 musical comedy Grease, has died. Buckner passed died Thursday “surrounded by loved ones,” the actor’s representative Melissa Berthier confirmed to PEOPLE. She was 72. A cause of death was not disclosed.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Susan Buckner, best known to the moviegoing public as memorable, bubbly cheerleader Patty Simcox, who starred opposite John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John in the 1978 smash musical ‘Grease,’” Buckner’s family said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “Rest in peace Susan. Your talent, spirit and infectious smile will live on in our hearts forever.”

Born in Seattle in 1952, Buckner won the Miss Washington pageant in 1971 and competed for the Miss America crown the following year, becoming a top 10 finalist. She went on to make her screen debut in 1973 when The Golddiggers, the all-female singing and dancing group she was a member of, appeared on The Dean Martin Show. She went on to appear on shows including The Mac Davis Show, Sonny and Cher, the Telly Savalas Live Touring Show, and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, and also became a member of an all-girl group called Fantasy and half of a musical duo known as Buckner & Pratt, per The Hollywood Reporter.

After making her big screen debut as a dancer in the 1976 musical comedy The First Nudie Musical, Buckner landed her most prominent credit when she starred as Patty Simcox in 1978’s Grease. Buckner’s character was one of Sandy’s (Newton-John) close friends and she belted the memorable cheer, “Do the splits, give a yell! Show a little spirit for Old Rydell! Way to go, red and white! Go Rydell, fight, fight, fight!” The film was a massive hit, grossing nearly $160 million at the global box office and becoming a cult classic.

Following the success of Grease, Buckner went on to appear in shows The Love Boat, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, B.J. and the Bear, and 10 episodes of When the Whistle Blows. She also starred in the 1981 Wes Craven-directed thriller Deadly Blessing alongside Maren Jensen and Sharon Stone, as well as 1989’s Police Academy 6: City Under Siege.

Buckner is survived by her two children, son Adam Josephs and daughter Samantha Mansfield, as well as her four grandchildren; her sister, Linda; her daughter-in-law and son-in-law; and her longtime partner, Al. In a statement, her daughter said, “the light she brought into every room will be missed forever. She was magic, and I was very lucky to call her my best friend.”