Susan Buckner, who played Patty Simcox in Grease, dead aged 72

Actor ‘died peacefully on May 2 surrounded by loved ones’

Susan Buckner, the actor best known for playing cheerleader Patty Simcox in Grease (1978), has died. She was 72.

“Susan died peacefully on May 2 surrounded by loved ones,” Melissa Berthier, a publicist for the family, said in a statement. A cause of death has not been shared.

“The light she brought into every room will be missed forever,” Buckner’s daughter, Samantha Mansfield, told People. “She was magic, and I was very lucky to call her my best friend.”

Buckner was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1952. Prior to her acting career, she was a beauty pageant queen, crowned Miss Washington in 1971 and a top ten finalist in Miss America 1972.

Her foray into the entertainment world started with The Dean Martin Show as one of the Golddiggers, an all-female singing and dancing group.

She also appeared on variety shows such as The Mac Davis Show, Sonny and Cher and as a synchronized swimmer on The Brady Bunch Variety Hour.

Actress Susan Buckner (Getty Images)

In 1977, she landed her signature role of Patty Simcox, one of Sandy’s (Olivia Newton-John) cheerleading friends in the cult musical classic.

She shouted the memorable cheer for the fictional Rydell High School: “Do the splits, give a yell! Show a little spirit for Old Rydell! Way to go, red and white! Go Rydell, fight, fight, fight!”

Grease, starring John Travolta as greaser Danny Zuko, was the biggest film of the year, earning $132.4m at the box office.

Her death follows that of Newton-John in 2022. The British-born Australian actor died from breast cancer at the age of 73.

Last year, Travolta spoofed one of Grease’s best-known songs in a Super Bowl advert.

He also paid tribute to Newton-John at the 2023 Academy Awards, becoming choked up as he introduced the In Memorium section.

Actors Lorenzo Lamas, Susan Buckner, director Randal Kleiser and actors Didi Conn, Jeff Conaway, Eddie Deezen and Annette Cardona in 2006 (Getty Images)

Buckner went on to star in several TV shows, including The Love Boat, B.J and the Bear, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, and When the Whistle Blows. She starred in the 1981 Wes Craven horror film Deadly Blessing alongside Sharon Stone and in 1989’s Police Academy 6: City Under Siege.

In her later years, she directed children’s theatre and taught dance at a gym in Florida.

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

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Susan’s honour.