Mary Ellen Kay

Mary Ellen Ruffalo (née Keaggy, August 29, 1929 – 2017), better known as Mary Ellen Kay, was an American television and film actress.[1]

Mary Ellen Kay
Mary Ellen Kay in Voodoo Woman 1957
Born
Mary Ellen Keaggy

(1929-08-29)August 29, 1929
Boardman, Ohio, U.S.
Died2017 (aged 87)
OccupationActress
Years active1950–1966 (film)
RelativesPhil Keaggy (brother)

Biography

Kay was born in Boardman, Ohio, on August 29, 1929.[2] She was one of ten siblings and the sister of virtuoso guitarist Phil Keaggy. Her brother credits her with introducing him to the Christian faith.[3] Prior to her acting career, Kay was a singer, having started at the age of 6. She later toured with Gene Ryan's orchestra, and by the time she was 17, she had become a headliner in supper clubs. Her initial foray into acting occurred through Little Theatre productions in the Hollywood area.[4] Kay co-starred with Rex Allen in 19 western films.[2]

In 1963, she married her second husband, Tim Ruffalo. They had one son, Bill, and remained together until his passing from a stroke in 1993.[5] In an interview dated August 14, 2018, Kay's brother, Phil Keaggy, revealed that Mary Ellen had passed away in 2017 at the age of 87.[6]

Selected filmography

References
  1. Drew p.109
  2. Fitzgerald, Michael G.; Magers, Boyd (2006). Ladies of the Western: Interviews with Fifty-One More Actresses from the Silent Era to the Television Westerns of the 1950s and 1960s. McFarland. pp. 112–120. ISBN 9781476607962. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  3. Phil Keaggy (27 March 2015). Worship in Song and Guitar Artistry (concert). Wheaton College: Wheaton College. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  4. Adams, Marjory (June 15, 1954). "Mary Ellen Kay in Show Business at Age 6; Now Young Film Veteran". The Boston Globe. Massachusetts, Boston. p. 38. Retrieved October 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  5. "Mary Kay Ellen interview". Western Clippings. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  6. "God Saved Me For A Purpose – Phil Keaggy Pt. 1". Cultivated podcast. 14 August 2018. pp. 5:30. Retrieved 27 January 2022.

Bibliography
  • Bernard A. Drew. Motion Picture Series and Sequels: A Reference Guide. Routledge, 2013.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.