Shelley Fabares breathes her last aged 82

Shelley Fabares, star of Coach and The Donna Reed Show, has died at the age of 82.

The actor and singer died on Saturday, August 22, in Los Angeles, surrounded by her loved ones.

Her family, including her M*A*S*H star husband, Mike Farrell, confirmed her death in a statement shared with various media outlets.

"To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter, and comfort," the statement began.

"She was a devoted wife, cherished stepmother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, family member, and loyal friend whose warmth, generosity, humour, and grace made an enduring difference in the lives of everyone who knew her. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for.”

"But to those closest to her, her greatest legacy was personal: the love she gave so freely, the friendships she treasured, and the family bonds she held dear,” they further wrote.

Fabares first enjoyed success as daughter Mary on The Donna Reed Show, an American sitcom that aired from September 1958 to March 1966, starring Academy Award-winning actress Donna Reed.

She later co-starred in the sitcom Coach as Christine Armstrong across 200 episodes from 1989 to 1997 and also appeared in three films with Elvis Presley: Girl Happy in 1965, Spinout in 1966 and Clambake in 1967.

Shelly Fabares was also a singer and had a Number 1 song, Johnny Angel, in 1962.