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Actress Judy Pace, best known for her appearances in the 1971 motion picture Brian’s Song, as well as multiple classic TV shows and Blaxploitation movies, died at the age of 83 on Wednesday.
Pace's daughters Shawn and Julia Pace Mitchell said that the actress-model 'died peacefully in her sleep' while visiting relatives in Marina Del Rey, California, according to Deadline.
The Los Angeles native, who was born on June 15, 1942, got her professional start in modeling, as in 1961, she was the youngest model to work at the Ebony Fashion Fair.
Her first on-camera role came as Judy/Liberia in the 1963 Cold War motion picture 13 Frightened Girls, becoming the first-ever Black actress given a contract by Columbia Studios.
Pace broke another entertainment industry barrier in 1965, when she was the first Black bachelorette to be featured on The Dating Game.
Pace was a staple of 1960s TV, having appeared on a number of the groundbreaking shows being broadcast at the time.
Actress Judy Pace, best known for her appearances in the 1971 motion picture Brian’s Song, as well as multiple Blaxploitation movies, died at the age of 83 on Wednesday. Pictured 2022 in LA
Pace seen in a 1974 publicity shot for the ABC series That's My Mama
They included Batman (1966), Bewitched (1966), Days of Our Lives (1967), I Dream of Jeannie (1967), Peyton Place (1967), The Flying Nun, The Mod Squad (1968) and Tarzan (1968).
Her most prominent role came in 1971 with Brian’s Song, the football drama which starred the late James Caan, Jack Warden and Bernie Casey.
In the movie - based on the friendship between Chicago Bears players Brian Piccolo (who was battling cancer) and Gale Sayers - she portrayed Linda Sayers, the wife of Gale (played by Billy Dee Williams).
During the 1970s, Pace performed in a series of motion pictures popular under the Blaxploitation genre, such as 1970's Cotton Comes to Harlem and 1973's The Slams.
In 1970, Pace was honored with a NAACP Image Award for her work in ABC's legal drama The Young Lawyers, as she was crowned Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as a law student.
Pace in 1971, along with Nichelle Nichols, founded Kwanza Foundation, which was to help Black women in the film industry, and provide scholarships to students aimed at a career in the arts.
Pace had been wed to actor Don Mitchell, who she had welcomed their two daughters with, from 1976-1984. She was also wed to baseball free agency pioneer Curt Flood from 1986 until his passing in 1997.
Pace is survived by daughters Shawn Pace Mitchell and Julia Pace Mitchell; grandson Stephen Lamar Hightower III; and son-in-law Otto Strong, among friends and relatives.
The Los Angeles native, who was born on June 15, 1942, got her professional start in modeling, as in 1961, she was the youngest model to work at the Ebony Fashion Fair. Pictured 2024
Online, the actress was well-remembered by a number of her fans who cited her talents and beauty in their memorials
Online, the actress was well-remembered by number of her fans who cited her talents and beauty in their memorials.
Said one user, 'RIP to the beautiful & talented, Judy Pace Flood, my prayers and condolences to her family.'
Another wrote, 'Rest in peace miss judy pace ... our beautiful silver screen gem & vintage black barbie.'
One fan wrote, 'Rest in peace, Judy Pace,' with the hashtag, '#beautifulIsBlack,' while another said, 'Aww man, R.I.P. She was a beautiful woman.'
Pace's relatives asked that in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to the NAACP, Deadline reported.
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