Janice McGoff, Longtime ABC Executive, Dies at 68

Janice McGoff, who spent three decades as an executive of ABC, died last month at the age of 68.

Her family announced that she died on Sept. 9 in Highlands Ranch, Colo., after suffering from a short illness.

The UCLA graduate worked her way up from the network’s human resources department in the 1970s to organizing special events and publicity before she was promoted to director of talent relations in 1990.

Up Next: ‘Sports Night’ and ‘Lion King’ Actor Robert Guillaume Dead at 89

Before her retirement in 2007 at ABC Entertainment’s VP of Talent Relations, the popular executive was the company’s liaison for organizing talent at upfronts, media tours, press junkets and events.

She worked directly with talent and their representatives for all of ABC’s affiliate programs, including the Disney Channel, Family Channel and ESPN after the networks merge with the Walt Disney Co. in 1995.

After retiring, McGoff moves to Colorado to live near her daughter Katherine and her family. Katherine, a grandson and a brother survive her in death.

In her obituary in the Los Angeles Times, McGoff is remembered as a vital influencer in the success of ABC Entertainment through her 30 years of service.

“Janice is remembered for her generosity, sense of humor, mentoring staffers, and maintaining close relationships with talent and colleagues in the television, entertainment and hospitality industries,” it read.

The family requests that donations be made to the fund established in her name at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.