Grease Star Susan Buckner Has Died, Aged 72

  (The Huffington Post) : Susan Buckner (left) and Olivia Newton-John (right) in the 1978 film Grease Grease star Susan Buckner has died at the age of 72. Susan was best known to fans of the much-loved movie musical for her performance as high school cheerleader Patty Simcox, an early friend of Olivia Newton-John’s character Sandy. A publicist for the late actor confirmed to People that she died “peacefully” on Thursday 2 May “surrounded by loved ones”. Her daughter Samantha Mansfield also told the US magazine: “The light she brought into every room will be missed forever. She was magic, and I was very lucky to call her my best friend.” No cause of death was given in Susan’s family’s statement. Susan Buckner at a Grease celebration event in 2006 Before landing the role of enthusiastic cheerleader Patty Simcox in Grease, Susan was a beauty pageant winner, taking the title of Miss Washington before going on to compete in Miss America in 1972. She went on to appear as Krofftette in a string of episodes of The Brady Bunch Hour, as well as the hit 70s shows The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Starsky & Hutch and The Love Boat. Following this, she landed the role in the hit film adaptation of Grease, sharing scenes with John Travolta, Stockard Channing and the late Olivia Newton-John. Susan on the set of Grease with co-stars Didi Conn and Stockard Channing Susan later went on to appear in the 1981 Wes Craven slasher Deadly Blessing and the sixth instalment in the Police Academy film franchise, after which People reported that she stepped back from the entertainment industry to focus on raising ..