‘Kate & Allie’ star Susan Saint James seen celebrating 80th birthday in final photos before death

See more of our coverage in your search results. Susan Saint James celebrated her 80th birthday with a party at her Los Angeles home months before her death. In the last photos of the “Kate & Allie” star, the actress appeared in high spirits wearing a Spiritual Gangster tank top, a tennis skirt and sneakers. For the Aug. 14 party, she accessorized her fun outfit with sunglasses and a red headband as she sipped from a cup. Susan Saint James celebrated her 80th birthday with a party at her Los Angeles home months before her death, as pictured here. BACKGRID The snaps from the milestone birthday on Aug. 14 are the last photos of the beloved “Kate & Allie” star. BACKGRID As Page Six previously reported, the sitcom star’s family confirmed her passing on Tuesday, telling People that Saint James died on Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The date of her diagnosis remains unknown. Her family also shed light on the beloved actress’ final birthday, which she spent with her many children and grandchildren. The actress appeared in high spirits wearing a Spiritual Gangster tank top, a tennis skirt and sneakers. BACKGRID She also sipped on a cup of coffee. BACKGRID Saint James celebrated her milestone birthday by attending a Doobie Brothers concert the night before, per the outlet. The “McMillan & Wife” alum, notably, toured with the band in the ‘70s and ‘80s. The band surprised her by wishing her a happy birthday and dedicating their hit “Black Water” to her. The dedication was extra special as her family noted it was her late son Teddy’s favorite song. On her birthday, Saint James continued the celebrations with a get-together in her backyard. She was joined by her whole family, including her husband, Dick Ebersol. After confirming Saint James death on Tuesday, her family shed some light on her birthday celebrations to People. BACKGRID The sitcom star kicked off celebrations by attending a Doobie Brothers concert, where the band dedicated a song to her. BACKGRID According to her family, she told them it “was one of the best two days of her entire life.” “Her greatest joy outside her children was her seven grandchildren, five girls and two boys, ages 5 to 18,” her family added. Saint James was a leading lady on television throughout the ’60s and ’70s before landing her career-defining role on “Kate & Allie” in 1984. The next day, Saint James (pictured in 1974) continued the celebrations with a family gathering in her backyard. Courtesy Everett Collection Her family told the outlet, it “was one of the best two days of her entire life.” (Pictured: Saint James in “Kate & Allie.) CBS via Getty Images At that time, she already had six Emmy nominations under her belt and the beloved sitcom earned her two more. “Kate & Allie,” which starred Saint James and Jane Curtin respectively, followed two divorced best friends who move in together, with their children in tow. Although Saint James was reluctant at first, she ultimately decided to play Kate because she “could relate to the problems of a divorced woman,” as she had already been divorced twice. The six-time Emmy nominee was a leading lady on TV for decades and landed her role as Kate alongside Jane Curtin (seen above) in 1984. Getty Images Saint James related to Kate (seen above with Jane Curtin as Allie) since she had already been divorced and a single mom, similarly to the fictional character. Getty Images Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! She was first married to scriptwriter Richard Neubert from 1967 to 1968. In 1971, she married makeup artist Tom Lucas. They welcomed two children, daughter Sunshine and son Harmony before splitting in 1977. While hosting “Saturday Night Live,” Saint James met NBC executive Dick Ebersol and the pair instantly hit it off. They wed six weeks after meeting and welcomed three sons: Charles, William and Edward, known as Teddy. In her personal life, Saint James (pictured in 2008) spent a lot of time with her five children, but faced a tragic loss when her youngest son in a plane crash in 2004. AP Photo/Nick Ut In the years after her teenage son’s passing, the actress (pictured in February 2025) worked to keep his memory alive. AP Photo/Evan Agostini Tragically, Teddy died in a plane crash in 2004 when he was just 14 years old. The teen was on a private jet with his father and brother Charles after celebrating Thanksgiving in Los Angeles. Saint James kept Teddy’s memory alive in the decades to come. She honored her late son by helping dedicate the Teddy Ebersol’s Red Sox Fields at Lederman Park in Boston in 2006. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. 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