Betty Anne Rees, an actress known for playing tough characters, has died at the age of 81. She appeared in several popular TV shows like ‘The F.B.I.,’ ‘My Three Sons,’ ‘Mannix,’ and ‘Lou Grant.’
Rees passed away on Monday at her home in Hemet, California, after experiencing several falls and a possible stroke, according to her niece, Kathleen Loucks. She was also diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the early 1990s.
Born on April 14, 1943, in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Rees graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1961 and attended the University of Miami before studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse. She appeared on the soap operas ‘General Hospital’ and ‘The Doctors’ and roomed with Caroline McWilliams, a future star, in New York.
In the early 1970s, Rees starred in two B-movies, ‘The Unholy Rollers’ and ‘Sugar Hill.’ In ‘The Unholy Rollers,’ she played Mickey Martinez, a roller derby star who clashed with a new player. In ‘Sugar Hill,’ she played Celeste, a mobster’s girlfriend who meets a grim fate.
Rees also appeared in many other TV shows throughout her career, including ‘Adam-12,’ ‘Medical Center,’ ‘Mod Squad,’ ‘Police Woman,’ ‘The Streets of San Francisco,’ ‘Barnaby Jones,’ and ‘The Incredible Hulk.’ Her final TV appearance was in 1978.
Later in life, Rees managed Gloria Marshall Figure Salons, designed kitchens, and invented a quirky gift called the “Executive Teething Ring.”
She is survived by her sister Barbara, her nephew Brian, and her cats, Honey Bear and Lovey. Rees never married but had a notable romance in the 1960s with Art Modell, the owner of the Cleveland Browns.