Actress Hersha Parady, known for her heartwarming role of schoolteacher Alice Garvey on “Little House on the Prairie,” died Wednesday. She was 78.
Parady had been battling a brain tumor when she died at the Norfolk, Virginia, home of her son, Jonathan Peverall, he confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
Parady’s condition “robbed her of her strength, her memory, and sadly, her vibrant personality,” according to the GoFundMe set up by Peverall earlier this summer.
“She has become largely bedridden, and it is very difficult to see my Mom, who was once full of life and energy, now struggling with basic daily activities,” he wrote on the fundraiser.
The family had hoped to fund surgery for Parady to improve her quality of life and help with expenses including in-home nursing care and medical equipment.
At the time of publication, the GoFundMe had already raised over its $20,000 goal.
Ohio-born Parady – wife of the late Oscar-winning “Deer Hunter” producer John Peverall – started her 34-episode run on “Prairie” during the fourth season premiere in 1977.
Alice met a tragic end in Season 6, in a two-part episode that hit small screens during February 1980 Sweeps Week. In the episode, the School for the Blind has caught on fire and Alice dies while trying to rescue children from the building.
Parady’s acting career began with stage work, including at the Cleveland Play House, and a Los Angeles production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” which also starred Jon Voight.
She first took to the screen in a 1971 episode of “Bearcats!” followed by appearances in the series “Mannix,” “The Waltons” and “The Quest.”
The season before Parady took on the role of Alice, she briefly appeared in one episode as Eliza Ingalls, the sister-in-law of Michael Landon’s Charles Ingalls.
Following her work on the beloved series, Parady landed roles in the films “Raw Courage” and “The Break.” She also appeared in several television movies as well as in episodes of “Unsolved Mysteries,” “Second Noah,” and “Kenan & Kel.”
Parady is survived by her son and siblings Patty, Kenny and Bobby.
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