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Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in “Grease,” has died at the age of 72

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Susan Buckner, best known for playing the peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the classic 1978 musical “Grease,” has died. She was 72 years old. Buckner “died peacefully” on May 2 and was “with his loved ones,” said a statement from her family’s publicist, Melissa Berthier, sent to CNN on Tuesday. A cause of death was not given. “Susan will be remembered for her kindness, generosity and unwavering commitment to positively impacting the lives of others,” Berthier’s statement said. “Her bubbly spirit will continue to inspire generations of artists and fans.” The Washington native played Simcox, the energetic and bubbly cheerleader who served as the embodiment of school spirit at the fictional Rydell High from “Grease,” alongside Newton-John’s iconic character Sandy “Grease” Buckner was a beauty queen in 1971 when she was crowned Miss Washington and later represented Washington state in the Miss American pageant. In the early 1970s, she appeared in episodes of “The Dean Martin Show,” “Police Woman,” and “Switch.” Buckner later showcased her musical talents when she appeared as a dancer and synchronized swimmer on “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour” in 1976. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Buckner appeared in a number of television series, including “Starsky and Hutch,” “The Love Boat” and “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries,” and co-starred with Dolph Sweet in the ABC series “When the Whistle Blows”. She also appeared on the big screen in the 1981 Wes Craven-directed horror film Deadly Blessing alongside Sharon Stone. According to her IMDb page, her most recent credit is the role of a news reporter in the 1989 film “Police Academy 6: City Under Seige.” In her later years, according to a biography provided by Buckner’s publicist, she withdrew from Hollywood to pursue a career focus on being a mother to her two children, Adam Josephs and Samantha Mansfield. Buckner also became a theater teacher for young children and taught dance in Coral Gables for nearly a decade. She is survived by her partner Al, her sister Linda, her two children and four grandchildren. “She was magical. She was my best friend.” “And I will miss her every day,” Mansfield said in a statement shared with CNN on Monday. “I was lucky to have such a lightning-resistant mother, and now I have her as an angel.”

Susan Buckner, best known for playing the peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the classic 1978 musical “Grease,” has died. She was 72.

Buckner “died peacefully” on May 2 and was “with her loved ones,” said a statement from her family’s publicist, Melissa Berthier, sent to CNN on Tuesday. A cause of death was not given.

“Susan will be remembered for her kindness, generosity and unwavering commitment to positively impacting the lives of others,” Berthier’s statement said. “Her sparkling spirit will continue to inspire generations of artists and fans alike.”

The Washington native played Simcox, the energetic and bubbly cheerleader who served as the embodiment of school spirit at “Grease’s” fictional Rydell High alongside Newton-John’s iconic character Sandy.

Before “Grease,” Buckner was a beauty pageant queen in 1971, when she was crowned Miss Washington, and later represented Washington state in the Miss American pageant.

In the early 1970s, she appeared in episodes of “The Dean Martin Show,” “Police Woman,” and “Switch.” Buckner later demonstrated her musical talent when she appeared as a dancer and synchronized swimmer on “The Brady Bunch Variety Hour” in 1976.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, Buckner appeared in a number of television series, including Starsky and Hutch, The Love Boat and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, and starred in the ABC series The Hardy Boys /Nancy Drew Mysteries”. When the Whistle Blows” alongside Dolph Sweet.

She also appeared on the big screen in the 1981 Wes Craven-directed horror film Deadly Blessing opposite Sharon Stone. Her most recent credit, according to her IMDb page, is playing a news reporter in the 1989 film Police Academy 6: City Under Seige.

According to a biography provided by Buckner’s publicist, she withdrew from Hollywood in her later years to focus on being a mother to her two children, Adam Josephs and Samantha Mansfield. Buckner also became a theater teacher for young children and taught dance in Coral Gables for nearly a decade.

She is survived by her partner Al, her sister Linda, her two children and four grandchildren.

“She was magical. She was my best friend. And I will miss her every day,” Mansfield said in a statement shared with CNN on Monday. “I was lucky to have such a lightning rod mother and now I have her as an angel.”

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