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Obituaries

Mary Fickett | 'All My Children' star, 83

Mary Fickett, 83, who played compassionate nurse Ruth Martin on ABC's All My Children , died Thursday at her Virginia home, ABC said.

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Mary Fickett, 83, who played compassionate nurse Ruth Martin on ABC's

All My Children

, died Thursday at her Virginia home, ABC said.

Ms. Fickett was an original cast member of All My Children, which premiered in 1970, and for decades she appeared alongside Ray MacDonnell, who played her on-screen husband, Dr. Joe Martin, in the fictional town of Pine Valley, Pa. She retired from the show in 2000.

In 1973, she became the first performer to receive an Emmy for a daytime soap opera.

A native of Bronxville, N.Y., Ms. Fickett was a seasoned stage, film, and TV actress before All My Children. Her first feature was Man on Fire (1957) with Bing Crosby. In 1958, she was nominated for a Tony Award for her Broadway role as Eleanor Roosevelt in Sunrise at Campobello.

ABC plans to dedicate next Wednesday's episode of All My Children to Ms. Fickett. Two days later, the series will end. - AP

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