Susan Saint James Bio, Husband, Children & Cause of Death

Who Was Susan Saint James? | Biography

Susan Saint James was an American actress and television personality celebrated for McMillan & Wife and Kate & Allie. Born Susan Jane Miller on August 14, 1946, she grew up in Rockford, Illinois, after her family’s move from California. Her television career began during an era when network dramas dominated American entertainment. She later became familiar to comedy audiences through a series about two divorced mothers sharing a household. Her work earned an Emmy Award and numerous nominations.

Saint James attended Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart and later studied at Connecticut College for Women. As a teenager, she also pursued modeling, including work in Paris. She returned to Los Angeles around age 20 and secured a contract with Universal Studios. Early appearances introduced her to television viewers before The Name of the Game established her reputation. She portrayed Peggy Maxwell, an editorial assistant connecting the show’s rotating leading characters.

Her breakthrough continued when she played Sally McMillan opposite Rock Hudson in NBC’s McMillan & Wife. The mystery series combined police investigations with the relationship between a commissioner and his wife. After leaving the show, Saint James appeared in several feature films. She later reunited with Jane Curtin for CBS’s Kate & Allie. The sitcom explored friendship, parenting, and the practical challenges facing divorced women raising children together.

Saint James gradually reduced her acting commitments after Kate & Allie ended in 1989. She concentrated on family life in Connecticut, occasional performances, business interests, and Special Olympics activities. She married television executive Dick Ebersol in 1981 and raised a blended family. Their youngest son, Teddy, died in a 2004 plane crash. Saint James died on October 26, 2026, aged 80, following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Her family confirmed her death publicly the following day.

Susan Saint James Age | How Old Was Susan Saint James?

Susan Saint James was 80 years old when she died on October 26, 2026. She was born on August 14, 1946, in Los Angeles, California. Her birthday fell just over two months before her death. Although California was her birthplace, she spent much of her childhood in Rockford, Illinois. She began working in entertainment while still young and gained major television recognition during her twenties. Her Emmy victory came in 1969, when she was 22. She was 37 when Kate & Allie premiered in 1984. These dates distinguish her early dramatic success from her later comedy career.

Susan Saint James Height | How Tall Was Susan Saint James?

Susan Saint James’s height does not have a sufficiently reliable, consistently documented measurement in the sources reviewed. Consequently, this biography does not assign her a height in feet, inches, or centimeters. Screen appearances and publicity photographs cannot establish an accurate physical measurement. A confirmed figure would require a dependable professional record or another authoritative source.

Susan Saint James Education

Susan Saint James attended Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school provided an educational setting before she pursued modeling and acting. The Hollywood Walk of Fame biography also records her attendance at Connecticut College for Women. However, the available biographical record does not establish a completed college degree. Her professional training developed through early modeling assignments and a subsequent Universal Studios contract. That studio agreement placed her within a television production system offering regular acting opportunities. Her education and early employment followed different paths, so college attendance should not be described as graduation.

Susan Saint James Husband | Who Was Dick Ebersol?

Susan Saint James was married to Dick Ebersol, a television producer and former NBC Sports executive. They met while she guest-hosted Saturday Night Live in 1981. Ebersol was working on the program, and their relationship developed quickly. They married roughly six weeks after meeting and welcomed three sons together. Ebersol later became a major executive in sports broadcasting. Their marriage also connected two prominent careers within American network television. In 2002, Saint James filed for divorce, but the couple reconciled that year. They remained married until her death in October 2026. Their family faced a devastating loss when their youngest son died in 2004.

Susan Saint James First Husband and Previous Marriages

Susan Saint James married Richard Neubert before her later marriages to Tom Lucas and Dick Ebersol. Her first marriage ended in divorce. She subsequently married makeup artist Tom Lucas, with whom she had two children. That marriage also ended, although the former couple maintained a friendly relationship. Her third marriage began after she met Ebersol on Saturday Night Live. These relationships belong to different periods of her life and should not be confused. Public accounts provide clearer details about her second and third marriages than about her earliest marriage.

Susan Saint James Children | How Many Did She Have?

Susan Saint James had five children, including her son Teddy, who died in 2004. She had daughter Sunshine and son Harmony with Tom Lucas. She later welcomed sons Charlie, Willie, and Teddy Ebersol with Dick Ebersol. Teddy died at age 14 after a private aircraft crashed during a family journey in November 2004. His father and brother Charlie survived the accident with serious injuries. Saint James had left the aircraft during an earlier stop in Colorado. Her family later described the eulogy she delivered after the tragedy. At her death, four of her children survived her. Her family also reported that she had seven grandchildren.

Susan Saint James Family | Parents, Sister, and Early Life

Susan Saint James was born Susan Jane Miller to a family that later settled in Rockford, Illinois. Her father’s work prompted the move from California, according to contemporary accounts of her life. Her sister Mercedes Dewey remained part of her adult life and later joined a business venture. Saint James spent her teenage years balancing education with an emerging interest in modeling. That work took her to Paris before her return to Los Angeles. She also had a niece, actress Christa Miller, who appeared on Kate & Allie. The available sources do not firmly establish both parents’ full names. Their identities should therefore not be guessed.

Susan Saint James Career | Television and Film Timeline

Saint James began her screen career under a contract with Universal Studios during the 1960s. She appeared in Fame Is the Name of the Game, which led toward the subsequent television series. Her work on The Name of the Game brought her a supporting-actress Emmy in 1969. She then led McMillan & Wife alongside Rock Hudson between 1971 and 1976. Film roles followed, including Outlaw Blues, Love at First Bite, and Carbon Copy. In 1984, she returned to a leading television role in Kate & Allie. After the sitcom ended, she largely stepped away from regular series work. However, she occasionally returned for guest appearances and stage productions.

Susan Saint James on Kate & Allie

Kate & Allie returned Saint James to a leading network role in 1984. She played Kate McArdle, a divorced mother sharing a New York household with longtime friend Allie Lowell. Jane Curtin portrayed Allie, whose personality contrasted with Kate’s more spontaneous approach. The characters supported each other while raising their children and managing changing family arrangements. CBS aired the sitcom through 1989. Saint James received lead-actress Emmy nominations in both 1984 and 1985. The show addressed divorce and female friendship without abandoning its comedy format. Saint James chose to reduce her acting schedule after the series ended. She then devoted more time to her children in Connecticut.

Susan Saint James Movies and TV Shows | Selected Credits

Saint James worked across television films, episodic dramas, sitcoms, and theatrical releases. Her credits show the progression from supporting appearances toward leading network roles. The following selection identifies documented projects rather than every appearance during her career.

• 1966: Fame Is the Name of the Game — television film.
• 1968–1971: The Name of the Game — Peggy Maxwell.
• 1968: Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows — feature film.
• 1971–1976: McMillan & Wife — Sally McMillan.
• 1977: Outlaw Blues — feature film with Peter Fonda.
• 1979: Love at First Bite — comedy film with George Hamilton.
• 1980: How to Beat the High Cost of Living — comedy film.
• 1981: Carbon Copy — film featuring Denzel Washington.
• 1984–1989: Kate & Allie — Kate McArdle.

Later appearances included The Drew Carey Show, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Suits. She also performed in a 1999 Connecticut staging of The Miracle Worker.

Susan Saint James Awards and Recognition

Susan Saint James won one Primetime Emmy Award and received eight Emmy nominations overall. The Television Academy records her 1969 victory for The Name of the Game. It also documents nominations connected to that series, McMillan & Wife, and Kate & Allie. In 2008, she received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in the television category. The ceremony took place on June 11 at 1645 Vine Street. These honors recognize different stages of her professional career. Her Emmy record reflects industry recognition during active production years. The Walk of Fame ceremony provided a later public acknowledgment of her television contributions.

Susan Saint James and Special Olympics

Susan Saint James supported Special Olympics through volunteer work and organizational leadership. Her involvement continued after she stepped away from full-time television acting. She served on boards and helped fundraising efforts connected with athletes with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Connecticut later established a Susan Saint James Leadership Award bearing her name. The award recognizes leadership that produces positive organizational change. In 1998, she joined her sister Mercedes Dewey and a friend to establish Seedling and Pip. The business sold baby gift baskets with an emphasis on books. These projects reflected sustained activity beyond screen performance.

Susan Saint James Death | What Happened to Her?

Susan Saint James died on October 26, 2026, at age 80. Her representative confirmed the death, and her family released a statement afterward. She had received a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, according to the death announcements. The available reporting does not establish a detailed medical timeline. Consequently, the illness should not be described through invented treatment dates or unconfirmed clinical details. News of her death appeared on October 27, prompting renewed attention to her television work. Family tributes also recalled her response to Teddy Ebersol’s death. Her surviving relatives included husband Dick Ebersol, four children, seven grandchildren, and her sister. Her death closed a career associated with several decades of American television.

Susan Saint James Salary

Susan Saint James’s salary during her television career is not reliably established in the reviewed public records. Her employment included studio contracts, television series, film appearances, and occasional later performances. However, no verified annual earnings figure covers these different periods. Historical television compensation should not be presented as a current salary. She had retired from regular series acting decades before her death.

Susan Saint James Net Worth

Susan Saint James’s personal net worth was not publicly verified at the time of her death. Nevertheless, her professional activities do not establish her assets, liabilities, or estate value. Her husband’s broadcasting career also does not provide a defensible measure of her individual wealth. Online estimates without transparent financial documentation should not be treated as confirmed facts.

Biography Summary