Connie Izay was a nurse, actress, and technical advisor who worked on several medical television shows, including MASH and Marcus Welby, M.D. She died from breast cancer in 1982, at the age of 53. Her death was a tragic loss for the MASH cast and crew, who dedicated an episode to her memory.
Contents
Connie Izay’s Early Life and Career
Connie Izay was born on November 29, 1928 in Pennsylvania, USA as Constance Blanche Ruscetti. She graduated from Hopewell High School in 1947 and trained as a nurse at Sewickley Valley Hospital. She moved to Albuquerque with her parents in her twenties and worked as a nurse educator in the Virgin Islands for two years. She also helped with medical testing for the first American astronauts at the Lovelace Clinic in New Mexico, according to Stardom Facts.
She married actor Victor Izay in 1955 and moved to Los Angeles with him. She started out as a studio nurse at Universal Studios and later became a technical advisor on medical and nursing matters for Marcus Welby, M.D. and MAS*H. She also played various nurse characters in these shows and others, such as Man from Atlantis and Bonanza.
Connie Izay’s Contribution to MAS*H
Connie Izay joined MAS*H as a technical advisor in 1977, after the Marcus Welby series ended. She was responsible for checking scripts for medical errors, highlighting medical terms for correct pronunciation, and showing actors how to hold medical equipment. She also advised on acting mistakes, such as when a doctor holds an x-ray upside down, according to Wikipedia.
She was also passionate about improving the image of nurses on television. She collaborated with Loretta Swit, who played Major Margaret Houlihan, to instigate changes in how nurses were portrayed in the series. She wanted to show that nurses were not just accessories to doctors, but professionals with skills and opinions of their own.
She also appeared as “Nurse Connie” in three episodes of MAS*H: “Guerilla My Dreams”, “Morale Victory”, and “Dreams”. However, she never received an on-screen credit for her work as a technical advisor, despite the intervention of Alan Alda on her behalf.
Connie Izay’s Death and Legacy
Connie Izay was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1981 and underwent chemotherapy and surgery. However, her condition worsened and she died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on August 21, 1982. She was survived by her husband and three children: Gregory, Victoria, and Stephen.
Her death was a shock and a sorrow for the MAS*H cast and crew, who considered her a friend and a mentor. They decided to dedicate an episode to her memory: “As Time Goes By”, the last episode filmed for the series. The episode featured a time capsule that contained items from the characters’ lives at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital. One of the items was a surgical mask that belonged to Nurse Connie.
Connie Izay was a remarkable woman who lived a full and meaningful life. She served as a nurse during the Korean War, helped with the space program, worked on popular television shows, and influenced the portrayal of nurses in the media. She was also a loving wife and mother who left behind a legacy of courage and compassion. She will always be remembered by her family, friends, and fans as the nurse behind MAS*H.
