‘Grease’ Cheerleader & Dean Martin Golddigger Was 72

Susan Buckner, finest identified to moviegoers as Grease‘s bubbly cheerleader Patty Simcox, died peacefully surrounded by family members in Miami on Could 2.

Her loss of life was introduced by household.

Buckner’s Grease character was the Rydell Excessive cheerleading pal of Olivia Newton-John’s Sandy. The 1978 movie additionally starred John Travolta and Stockard Channing.

Born on January 28, 1952, in Seattle, Washington, Buckner was topped Miss Washington in 1971 and represented the state within the Miss America pageant the next 12 months. Quickly after, she grew to become certainly one of The Dean Martin Present’s Golddiggers dancers, and that led her to turn out to be a part of the all-girl group Fantasy and the musical duo Buckner and Pratt.

She additionally appeared on such selection exhibits as The Mac Davis Present, Sonny and Cher and, as a dancer and synchronized swimmer, The Brady Bunch Selection Hour.

In 1977, she landed her signature function of perky Patty Simcox, Grease‘s embodiment of pep and college spirit. “Do the splits, give a yell!” she cheered alongside Newton-John. “Present slightly spirit for previous Rydell! Option to go, purple and white! Go Rydell, combat, combat, combat!”

Grease was the top-grossing film of 1978 with $132.4 million in field workplace. Its soundtrack spawned 4 High 5 singles, earned an Album of the 12 months Grammy nom and has bought greater than 8 million models within the U.S. alone.

Buckner later was featured in a number of TV exhibits, together with The Love Boat, B.J and the Bear, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, and co-starred within the ABC collection When the Whistle Blows. She starred within the 1981 Wes Craven horror movie Lethal Blessing alongside Sharon Stone and in 1989’s Police Academy 6: Metropolis Underneath Siege. She later stepped away from present enterprise to boost a household.

Buckner is survived by her son Adam Josephs, daughter Samantha Mansfield, grandchildren Oliver, Riley, Abigail and Ruby in addition to her sister Linda, daughter-in-law Noel Josephs, son-in-law Adam Mansfield and longtime associate Al.

In lieu of flowers, the household requests that donations be made to Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Backyard in Susan’s honor.

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