Gloria McMillan obit

 

'Our Miss Brooks' Star Gloria McMillan Dies at 88

 She was not on the list.

Gloria McMillan, the vivacious blonde actress whose career on the radio and on TV stretched back to the late '30s, died at 88 on January 19.

Her death was announced by friends on Facebook.

McMillan was born in Portland, Oregon, on March 13, 1933, moving to Hollywood with her family as a child.

On the radio from age 4, her first dramatic role was on "Big Town" circa 1937. From 1948-1957, McMillan was the voice of Harriet Conklin on the radio version of "Our Miss Brooks" with Eve Arden and Richard Crenna. She played the same role on the TV series from 1952-1956, and repeated it in the 1956 feature film of the same name.

Before beginning that program, she had the role of Sharlee Bronson, girlfriend of the title character's ward, in Mayor of the Town. She also was a member of the cast of Meet Corliss Archer and was heard often on Dr. Christian.

She appeared on other radio programs, including many supporting roles on the Lux Radio Theatre, Meet  Corliss Archer, Jack Benny, and Great Gildersleeves.

After her final performance as Harriet, she acted only sporadically, including on an episode of "Dr. Kildare" (1966), in the classic beauty-pageant satire "Smile" (1975), in the pilot for a series called "Most Wanted," and in a more substantial role in the miniseries "Centennial" (1978-1979).

In the early 1960s, she was host of Faith of Our Children on KRCA-TV. In the fall of 1971, the Chancel Players of First United Presbyterian Church of San Bernardino appeared five times on Sunday Story Time, a children's television program on KABC-TV. The group was directed by McMillan, and she and her husband, the church's pastor, appeared on camera with an introduction and conclusion for each episode.

Early in her career, McMillan acted at the Pasadena Playhouse and with the La Jolla Players. In 1974, she returned to the stage in Seattle, in Under Papa's Picture. The production reunited her with Eve Arden.

She gave her final TV performance on a 1990 episode of "Perfect Strangers."

As a youth, McMillan was involved in church activities, including teaching a Sunday School class of first-grade children and leading her church's eighth-grade girls' club. Six months after her wedding, McMillan announced that she was giving up acting to help her husband in his ministry as he was preparing to enter the Presbyterian San Francisco Theological Seminary. The couple met through their mutual work with young people at Beverly Vista Community Church. McMillan said, "We've both had a good taste of church work, and we love it."

In 1965, McMillan and Allen led in establishing the first Presbyterian church in Huntington Beach, California, with Allen having been assigned that role by the Presbytery of Los Angele

Having run acting academies since 1969, McMillan retired in 2018. McMillan's sister, Janet, acted on stage and on radio and was a teacher

She is survived by her second husband, Ron Cocking, and by five children.

Actress (7 credits)

 1990 Perfect Strangers (TV Series)

Mrs. O'Neil

- Hocus Pocus (1990) ... Mrs. O'Neil

 1978-1979 Centennial (TV Mini Series)

Mrs. Brumbaugh

- The Winds of Fortune (1979) ... Mrs. Brumbaugh (as Gloria McMillian)

- The Crime (1979) ... Mrs. Brumbaugh (as Gloria McMillian)

- The Storm (1979) ... Mrs. Brumbaugh

- The Shepherds (1978) ... Mrs. Brumbaugh

- The Massacre (1978) ... Mrs. Brumbaugh

 1976 Most Wanted (TV Series)

Sister Ann

- Pilot (1976) ... Sister Ann

 1975 Smile

Lady Judge

 1966 Dr. Kildare (TV Series)

Desk Nurse

- A Sometimes Distant Spring (1966) ... Desk Nurse

 1956 Our Miss Brooks

Harriet Conklin (as Gloria MacMillan)

 1952-1955 Our Miss Brooks (TV Series)

Harriet Conklin