Vale: June Blair

Former US actress June Blair, best known for The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, has died aged 90.

She died last Monday of natural causes at her home in Los Angeles, her niece, Tracy Kristine Nelson, confirmed on Facebook.

Blair portrayed the wife of her real-life husband, David Nelson, on the comedy from 1961 – 1966.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, she had appeared on two episodes of Ozzie and Harriet in 1960 as other characters, but was abruptly introduced as Mrs. June Nelson on “The Newlyweds Get Settled,” in 1961. “Viewers had to be confused — a week earlier, David was still dating Roberta (Roberta Shore)! Of course, the popular series always blurred the line between fiction and reality, with Ozzie and Harriet Nelson as the parents of David and Ricky onscreen and off. (Ricky would marry Kristin Harmon in 1963, and she joined the show, too.)” it notes.

She made her screen debut in 1956 with a turn on Our Miss Brooks.

Though she left screen acting following the conclusion of Ozzie and Harriet, Blair had accrued a series of notable credits before joining the comedy, with prominent roles in films such as Hell Bound, The Rabbit Trap and The Island of Lost Women.

Blair was also featured as Playboy’s Playmate of the Month in January 1957.