(Reuters) – Dawn Wells, who parlayed her girl-next-door charm and wholesome beauty into enduring TV fame as the sweet-natured desert island castaway Mary Ann on the classic 1960s sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” died on Wednesday at age 82, her publicist said.
Wells, who won the title of Miss Nevada in 1959 and competed in the Miss America contest, died from complications of COVID-19, publicist Harlan Boll said in a statement.
Born in the gambling city of Reno, Wells played Kansas farm girl Mary Ann Summers, one of seven castaways stranded after their boat, the S.S. Minnow, became battered in a storm during what was supposed to be a three-hour tour from Hawaii. Wells beat out actresses including Raquel Welch for her role.
“Gilligan’s Island” ran for three seasons (1964–1967) with a cast that also included Bob Denver as the zany Gilligan, Alan Hale Jr. as “The Skipper,” Jim Backus as millionaire Thurston Howell III, Natalie Schafer as his posh wife, Russell Johnson as “The Professor,” and Tina Louise as movie star Ginger.
The death of Wells leaves Louise, 86, the sole survivor of these cast members.
Natalie Schafer
Natalie Schafer played the millionaire’s wife, Mrs. Lovey Howell. She was born on Nov. 5, 1900, in Red Bank, New Jersey, and raised in Manhattan.
Schafer worked on Broadway, mostly in supporting roles, before moving to LA in 1940 to pursue a career in television and movies. She was featured in several movies and shows over the years but her most notable role was as Mrs. Howell on Gilligan’s Island.
On April 10, 1991, Schafer died of liver cancer. She was 90. Like her co-star Hale, she was also cremated and her ashes were sprinkled in the Pacific Ocean.
Russell Johnson
Actor Russell Johnson was born on Nov. 10, 1924, in Ashley, Pennsylvania. He starred in a number of Westerns and Sci-Fi classics. He was also known for his role as Marshal Gib Scott in Black Saddle and as Professor Roy Hinkley in Gilligan’s Island.
Johnson was married three times and had three children. His son, David, died of AIDS-related complications in 1994. Johnson died twenty years later on Jan. 16. 2014, of kidney failure. He was 89.
Dawn Wells
On Dec. 30, 2020, news broke that Wells had died at a residential facility in LA from complications related to COVID-19. She was 82.
Wells, who played a wholesome farm girl from Kansas named Mary Ann, was born on Oct. 18, 1938, in Reno, Nevada. Prior to taking on the iconic TV role, Wells was crowned Miss Nevada and represented her state in the 1960 Miss America pageant.
Following her iconic part as Mary Ann, Wells made headlines for running into some financial trouble. In 2018, one of her friends started a GoFundMe for her to help pay off Wells’ debts of “taxes, medical [expenses], and [other] bills.”