Mary Ellen Kay
American actress (1929–2017)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mary Ellen Ruffalo (née Keaggy, August 29, 1929 – 2017), better known as Mary Ellen Kay, was an American television and film actress.[1]
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August 29, 1929
Mary Ellen Kay | |
|---|---|
Mary Ellen Kay in Government Agents vs. Phantom Legion (1951) | |
| Born | Mary Ellen Keaggy August 29, 1929 Boardman, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | 2017 (aged 87–88) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1950–1966 (film) |
| Spouse |
Tim Ruffalo
(m. 1963; died 1993) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Phil Keaggy (brother) |
Biography
Kay was born in Boardman, Ohio, on August 29, 1929.[2] She was one of ten siblings and the sister of virtuoso guitarist Phil Keaggy. Her brother credits her with introducing him to the Christian faith.[3] Prior to her acting career, Kay was a singer, having started at the age of 6. She later toured with Gene Ryan's orchestra, and by the time she was 17, she had become a headliner in supper clubs. Her initial foray into acting occurred through Little Theatre productions in the Hollywood area.[4] Kay co-starred with Rex Allen in 19 western films.[2]
In 1963, she married her second husband, Tim Ruffalo. They had one son, Bill, and remained together until his passing from a stroke in 1993.[5] In an interview dated August 14, 2018, Kay's brother, Phil Keaggy, revealed that Mary Ellen had died in 2017 at the age of 87.[6]
Selected filmography
- Girls' School (1950)
- Streets of Ghost Town (1950)
- Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950)
- Fort Dodge Stampede (1951)
- Desert of Lost Men (1951)
- Rodeo King and the Senorita (1951)
- Silver City Bonanza (1951)
- Government Agents vs. Phantom Legion (serial) (1951)
- Colorado Sundown (1952)
- The Last Musketeer (1952)
- Vice Squad (1953)
- Yukon Vengeance (1954)
- The Long Wait (1954)
- Thunder Pass (1954)
- Runaway Daughters (1956)
- Voodoo Woman (1957)
- Buffalo Gun (1961)
