The loss is heartbreaking, but her family’s memories reach deeper than fame. Following reports of Susan Saint James’s death at 80, attention turns to the mother behind the beloved television star. After an unimaginable tragedy shattered her world, she offered comfort to those closest to her, leaving a legacy her loved ones now describe through one act

Susan Saint James died October 26 at 80 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her representative told People. An Emmy winner for The Name of the Game, she became a familiar presence in McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie. Yet beyond television, she increasingly chose a quieter priority: raising her children. Married to Dick Ebersol since 1981, she built a family life that brought profound happiness—and devastating sorrow when their 14-year-old son, Teddy, died in a 2004 plane crash.

Her family remembers how, even then, she offered comfort to her husband and surviving children through Teddy’s eulogy. That generosity also shaped her longtime work with Special Olympics and her everyday encounters with strangers. In August, surrounded by loved ones, she celebrated an 80th birthday she treasured. She leaves Ebersol, four surviving children, seven grandchildren, and her sister—and a family whose tribute places kindness at the center of her story.