Loretta Swit, star of several popular TV shows, passed away on May 30. The news of her death was confirmed by her secretary, Harlan Boll. “According to the police report, Swit died shortly after midnight on Friday, presumably of natural causes, in her New York home,” he stated.
Loretta Swit was born on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey. Her parents were of Polish descent. She graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts as a singer.
Swit rose to fame in 1972 for her role as Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in the TV series MASH*. Toward the end of her life, she admitted she disliked her character’s nickname. “I understand nicknames are often given with affection and admiration for the character. But to me, it felt like an insult,” she said in a 2023 interview with Fox News.
Loretta also appeared in TV shows such as Mission: Impossible, Love, American Style, The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Batman, and films like Race with the Devil, Valentine, and many others. She was nominated four times for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and won two Emmy Awards in 1980 and 1982 for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. In 1989, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Swit was also a passionate advocate for animal rights. In 2016, she founded the SwitHeart Animal Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending cruelty toward animals. A portion of her earnings from the arts was regularly donated to animal welfare causes. She also hosted the documentary series Those Incredible Animals and special segments of Wildlife Rescue. She was honored as “Woman of the Year” by both the Animal Protection Institute and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Loretta was married once. In 1983, she wed actor Dennis Holahan. They divorced in 1995.
