Shelley Fabares' Sitcom Co-Stars React To Her Sad Death At 82

Beloved, and prolific, actor Shelley Fabares passed away at the age of 82, on August 22, as her family confirmed to People. "To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter, and comfort," they noted in a statement. "She was a devoted wife, cherished stepmother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, family member, and loyal friend whose warmth, generosity, humor, and grace made an enduring difference in the lives of everyone who knew her. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for."

Craig T. Nelson, who starred opposite Fabares on hit sitcom "Coach" for the best part of a decade, was clearly devasted by the news. In a statement shared with Entertainment Weekly, the actor noted, "Shelley was a great and grand lady... just a rock. I will miss her. She was a foundational part of my life during the run of 'Coach.'" Nelson went on to gush that his former co-star was "just an extraordinary woman. She always had a smile. She was welcoming in the midst of chaos and always someone I could go to for advice and counsel, not only myself but others as well," simply concluding, "I'll remember you with love, Shelley Fabares."

Alongside her former onscreen husband, Shelley Fabares' colleague Glenn Scarpelli posted a sweet Instagram tribute to her, in which he noted that they'd most recently been in touch around Christmastime last year. Similar to Nelson, the "One Day at a Time" alum confirmed that he would always remember her fondly, as someone who shone from within. Fittingly, the last thing the still-close friends said to each other was simply expressing their love.

Fellow soap icon Morgan Fairchild, meanwhile, described Fabares as "the sweetest, most down-to-earth lady imaginable!" As she pointed out, the actor's death left a massive hole in Hollywood. The two worked together on the SAG-AFTRA board for many years, so they likely shared stories about their time in the industry. As Fairchild noted, "Such a loss for our biz & for the world." Of course, one of Fabares' most famous co-stars was none other than Elvis Presley. 

The two co-starred in three films together, "Girl Happy," "Spinout," and "Clambake." The King of Rock and Roll passed away in 1977, but Fabares adored working with him, telling Elvis Australia in 2013, "I loved doing those pictures. It's a happy memory for me, they were great fun."