Prolific TV Actress Pat Crowley Dies 2 Days Before 92nd Birthday

Pat Crowley, a prolific TV actress who appeared in dozens of series across a career spanning six decades, has died.

Crowley’s son, Jon Hookstratten — who is the executive vice president of administration and operations at Sony Pictures Entertainment — told Entertainment Weekly that Crowley died of natural causes on Sunday, two days before her 92nd birthday.

Crowley’s 100-plus credits include her starring role of Joan Nash in the 1960s sitcom Please Don’t Eat the Daises. In the 1965-67 NBC series based based on the 1960 movie starring Doris Day, Crowley played mother of four Joan Nash, who broke free of housewife tropes working as a newspaper columnist.

Although the show didn’t find its audience right away, it achieved popularity in the 1970s with reruns.

Crowley is also known for guest starring on TV series The Untouchables, Gunsmoke, Bonanza and Maverick. She also co-starred with Burgess Meredith and Robert Sterling in “Printer’s Devil,” a 1963 episode of The Twilight Zone.

She appeared on TV shows well into the 2000s, with roles on Columbo, Hawaii Five-O, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, Frasier, Charmed and Murder, She Wrote.

She played the role of Mary Scanlon in more than 250 episodes of General Hospital spinoff Port Charles. Her soap opera roles didn’t end there, as she also appeared on Generations, The Bold and the Beautiful and Falcon Crest. She later recurred in the sixth season of Dynasty.

Crowley also was active in film throughout the ’50s and ’60s, with credits in Red Garters (1954), The Square Jungle (1955), There’s Always Tomorrow (1956), Hollywood or Bust (1956), Key Witness (1960) and The Wheeler Dealers (1963).

Crowley is survived by her son Jon, her husband, television producer and executive Andy Friendly, whom she married in 1986. She was married to the late Ed Hookstratten, an entertainment attorney who represented Johnny Carson, Elvis Presley and Vin Scully.

Crowley is also survived by her daughter Ann; son-in-law Robert, daughter-in-law Marion; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.