Kathie Browne was a popular American actress who appeared in many films and television shows from the 1950s to the 1980s. She is best known for her roles in western series such as Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and Hondo, as well as her guest appearance in the Star Trek episode “Wink of an Eye” as the seductive alien Deela. She was also the wife of actor Darren McGavin, who starred in the cult classic series Kolchak: The Night Stalker. But how did Kathie Browne die, and what was her cause of death? Here is what we know.
Early Life and Career
Kathie Browne was born Jacqueline Sue Browne on September 19, 1929, in Humansville, Missouri, to Winn Roscoe Browne and Erma Mae Wood. Her family moved to San Luis Obispo, California, when she was a child, and then to Los Angeles, where she attended city schools. She received her first social security card at age 13 in 1943.
She studied drama at Los Angeles City College, where she won a best acting award. She made her stage debut in a production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which led to her television debut in 1957 in shows such as The Gray Ghost, The Sheriff of Cochise, and Gunsmoke. She made her film debut in the B-movie Murder by Contract in 1958, but she mainly focused on television work.
She appeared in many popular TV series of the time, such as Perry Mason, My Favorite Martian, Get Smart, The Wild Wild West, Ironside, The Rockford Files, The Love Boat, and Fantasy Island. She also played recurring roles in some shows, such as the widow Laura Dayton in Bonanza, who was supposed to marry Adam Cartwright (Pernell Roberts) until he decided to leave the show, and the widowed mother Angie Dow in Hondo, based on a Louis L’Amour story.
One of her most memorable roles was as Deela, the leader of the Scalosians, a race of hyper-accelerated beings who abduct Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and try to use him as a mate, in the Star Trek episode “Wink of an Eye” in 1968. She wore a revealing green costume and displayed a sensual chemistry with Shatner, making her one of the most iconic Star Trek guest stars.
Personal Life and Death
Kathie Browne married actor-producer Sherwood Price in 1953, but they divorced in 1961. She then married actor Darren McGavin in 1969, and they became frequent co-stars, including in his series Kolchak: The Night Stalker, where she played a police lieutenant in the episode “Sentry”. She also co-produced some of his projects, such as the film Zero to Sixty and the TV movie Berlin Affair.
She retired from acting in 1980 and devoted her time to traveling with her husband, especially on their riverboat in France. She was also a breast cancer survivor, having undergone a mastectomy in 1974.
Kathie Browne died of natural causes on April 8, 2003, in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 73. She was buried as Kathie Browne-McGavin at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles County, California. Her husband, to whom she was married for 34 years, died on February 26, 2006, in Los Angeles, California.
Kathie Browne was a talented and beautiful actress who left a lasting impression on many fans and viewers. She was also a loving and supportive wife who shared a happy and adventurous life with her husband. She will always be remembered for her roles in westerns, sci-fi, and comedy, and for her grace and charm.
