Susan Saint James, an Emmy winning actress, has died after a battle with pancreatic cancer, a representative for the family said.
The family released a statement praising Saint James as generous with her time and energy, and instinctively drawn to anyone who needed lifting up. The statement added she valued time more than money.
Her family noted she was especially proud of her children and that she taught them to pause, be kind and look out for other people, the statement said. The family identified her husband as NBC Sports executive Dick Ebersol.
Survivors listed by the family include her husband and four children, Sunshine Lucas, Harmony Lucas, Charlie Ebersol and Willie Ebersol. They also named seven grandchildren, a sister Mary Mercedes Dewey and her service dog Lola.
The family said Saint James never met a stranger and brought fire and positivity to everything she did. They added that people she met often walked away knowing her entire life story.
Plane Crash And Family Impact
Members of Saint James's family said the actress was never the same after a private plane crash that killed her youngest son. RadarOnline.com reported the crash as a turning point in her life.
The aircraft had been carrying Dick Ebersol and their sons Charlie and Edward Teddy Ebersol after the family had attended a college football game in Los Angeles. The plane stopped in Colorado to drop off Saint James, and was to fly on so Charlie could return to classes at Notre Dame, the family recalled.
The aircraft crashed during an attempted takeoff from Montrose Regional Airport in Colorado. Ebersol and Charlie survived with injuries. Teddy, described as a ninth grader, was thrown from the plane and crushed. The pilot and flight attendant were also killed.
Family members described Saint James's eulogy for her son as her defining act. They said she delivered his eulogy as a note to each of her other children and to her husband, offering words to help them heal.
Saint James spoke publicly about her grief in an interview with Tim Russert on the Today show. She said she had given up acting to be a full time mother to Teddy and called herself his best friend. She recalled finding in a school autobiography how much her son had valued the family.
