Susan Saint James's official cause of death was metastatic pancreatic cancer, according to a death certificate obtained by People on Thursday, November 5. The Emmy-winning actress died on October 26 at the age of 80, and the certificate lists the interval between the onset of the illness and her death as months.
Her representative confirmed on October 26 that Saint James had died after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The newly obtained document identifies the specific cause as metastatic cancer, meaning the disease had spread from its original site to other parts of the body. Saint James had celebrated her 80th birthday in August, just months before her death.
Born Susan Jane Miller on August 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, Saint James became one of television's most familiar faces across three decades. She won an Emmy for her supporting role as Peggy Maxwell in The Name of the Game, co-starred with Rock Hudson in McMillan & Wife, and starred opposite Jane Curtin in the hit sitcom Kate & Allie, which ran from 1984 to 1989. Her film roles included Love at First Bite and How to Beat the High Cost of Living.
Saint James is survived by her husband, television executive Dick Ebersol; her four children, Sunshine Lucas, Harmony Lucas, Charlie Ebersol and Willie Ebersol; her seven grandchildren; her sister, Mary Mercedes Dewey; and her service dog, Lola. Her family remembered her as someone who was "generous with her time and energy" and "instinctively drawn to whoever needed lifting up."
Saint James had also spoken publicly about the loss of her youngest son, Teddy, who died in a plane crash in November 2004. Weeks after the crash, she delivered his eulogy as a note to each of her other children. Curtin shared a statement with ABC News after Saint James's death, reflecting on her former co-star's life and career.
