Judy Pace obit

Actress Judy Pace Passes Away at 83 – Farewell to a Silver Screen Gem 

The groundbreaking actress and former Ebony Fashion Fair model leaves behind a legacy of elegance and barrier-breaking roles. 

She was not on the list.

The entertainment world has lost one of its most radiant and groundbreaking stars. Judy Pace, the stunning actress whose grace lit up screens large and small for over three decades, has passed away. She was 83.

While details surrounding her transition in March 2026 remain private, the outpouring of love from fans and colleagues makes one thing clear: Judy Pace was more than just a beautiful face—she was a true artist who shattered barriers with every role.

From Ebony Fashion Fair to Hollywood Stardom

Born Judy Lenteen Pace on June 15, 1942, she first captivated audiences not on screen, but on the runway. As one of the youngest models to ever walk in the legendary Ebony Fashion Fair tour in the early 1960s, she became a symbol of elegance and Black representation long before she spoke her first line of dialogue.

That natural charisma made her transition to Hollywood seamless. Pace quickly became a familiar face in the late 1960s and 1970s, appearing in a staggering array of iconic television shows. From cult classics like Batman, Bewitched, and The Flying Nun to groundbreaking dramas like I Spy and The Mod Squad, her presence was always “welcoming, warm, sexy but innocent,” as one fan recently noted.

Making History as Television’s First Black Villainess

However, Pace was not content with playing it safe. She made history by stepping into the role of Vickie Fletcher on the primetime soap opera Peyton Place, becoming one of the first Black actresses to portray a villainess on American television. This bold move showcased her range and earned her critical respect. She would go on to win an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her starring role as Pat Walters in the ABC legal drama The Young Lawyers (1969–1971).

A Staple of 1970s Film and Television

Her film career was equally impactful. Pace graced the screen in some of the most memorable films of the era, including the classic Brian’s Song (1971), and became a staple of the Blaxploitation era with roles (including Cotton Comes to Harlem) that added depth and complexity to the genre. Whether she was appearing on Sanford and Son, That’s My Mama, or What’s Happening!!, Judy Pace Flood (as she was known in her personal life) brought a unique blend of strength, sensuality, and sophistication that was unmatched.

A Beauty, Period—And a Grand Actress

To call her a “Black beauty” almost seems too narrow. As one admirer beautifully put it, “Restricting her to just being a ‘black’ beauty is a slap in the face because she’s a beauty, period.” She was a vision of loveliness, yes, but she was also a grand actress who paved the way for generations of women of color.

Judy Pace’s legacy is not just in the films she left behind, but in the doors she kicked open. She was a pioneer who proved that a Black woman could be elegant, powerful, and versatile all at once.

Actress

Akeem Smith and Diandra Lyle in Beauty and the Baller (2017)

Beauty and the Baller

6.7

TV Series

Delores

2017

4 episodes

 

Tatyana Ali, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Angell Conwell, and Dawnn Lewis in The Divorce (2014)

The Divorce

6.8

TV Movie

Phoebe

2014

 

Adam Clark, Patrick Gorman, Ted Lange, and Harrison Page in Players at the Poker Palace (2008)

Players at the Poker Palace

TV Series

Sylvia

2008

1 episode

 

Sucker Free City (2004)

Sucker Free City

6.7

TV Movie

Mama June

2004

 

What's Happening Now! (1985)

What's Happening Now!

6.2

TV Series

Lucy

1985

1 episode

 

Ron Glass and Demond Wilson in The New Odd Couple (1982)

The New Odd Couple

4.8

TV Series

Brenda Gibson

1982

1 episode

 

William Jordan, Jim McMullan, Connie Sellecca, and James Wainwright in Beyond Westworld (1980)

Beyond Westworld

4.5

TV Series

Vickie Greene

1980

1 episode

 

What's Happening!! (1976)

What's Happening!!

7.1

TV Series

LizNurse Jennings

1977–1979

2 episodes

 

John Amos, Ralph Carter, Ja'net DuBois, Esther Rolle, BernNadette Stanis, and Jimmie 'JJ' Walker in Good Times (1974)

Good Times

7.4

TV Series

Gloria Jackson

1975

1 episode

 

Carl Franklin and Stacy Keach in Caribe (1975)

Caribe

6.6

TV Series

Sarah Draper

1975

1 episode

 

Raymond Burr and Barbara Sigel in Ironside (1967)

Ironside

6.9

TV Series

Ellen Young

1974

1 episode

 

Clifton Davis, Ted Lange, Theresa Merritt, Lynne Moody, and Teddy Wilson in That's My Mama (1974)

That's My Mama

7.1

TV Series

Judy Wilson

1974

1 episode

 

Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson in Sanford and Son (1972)

Sanford and Son

7.9

TV Series

Judy

1974

1 episode

 

David Carradine in Kung Fu (1972)

Kung Fu

7.6

TV Series

Jenny

1974

1 episode

 

Medical Center (1969)

Medical Center

7.1

TV Series

Patti

1974

1 episode

 

Richard Roundtree in Shaft (1973)

Shaft

6.5

TV Series

Ann Lowell

1973

1 episode

 

The Slams (1973)

The Slams

5.9

Iris Daniels

1973

 

Cool Breeze (1972)

Cool Breeze

5.4

Obalese Eaton

1972

 

Oh, Nurse!

TV Movie

1972

 

Frogs (1972)

Frogs

4.5

Bella Garrington

1972

 

James Caan, Shelley Fabares, and Billy Dee Williams in Brian's Song (1971)

Brian's Song

7.5

TV Movie

Linda Sayers

1971

 

O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (1971)

O'Hara, U.S. Treasury

7.3

TV Series

Mrs. Kathy Williams

1971

1 episode

 

The Young Lawyers (1969)

The Young Lawyers

7.1

TV Series

Pat WaltersAnn Walters

1969–1971

25 episodes

 

Up in the Cellar (1970)

Up in the Cellar

5.1

Harlene

1970

 

Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)

Cotton Comes to Harlem

6.5

Iris

1970

 

Insight (1960)

Insight

7.5

TV Series

Carmen

1969

1 episode

 

The New People (1969)

The New People

7.0

TV Series

Della

1969

1 episode

 

Peyton Place (1964)

Peyton Place

7.4

TV Series

Vickie Fletcher

1968–1969

15 episodes

 

My Friend Tony (1969)

My Friend Tony

7.1

TV Series

Receptionist

1969

1 episode

 

Three in the Attic (1968)

Three in the Attic

5.4

Eulice

1968

 

Peggy Lipton, Michael Cole, and Clarence Williams III in Mod Squad (1968)

Mod Squad

7.0

TV Series

Leila

1968

1 episode

 

Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

The Thomas Crown Affair

6.9

Pretty Girl

1968

 

Ron Ely in Tarzan (1966)

Tarzan

7.1

TV Series

Abena

1968

1 episode

 

Sally Field in The Flying Nun (1967)

The Flying Nun

6.5

TV Series

Go-Go #2

1967

1 episode

 

Barbara Eden in I Dream of Jeannie (1965)

I Dream of Jeannie

7.4

TV Series

Receptionist

1967

1 episode

 

Days of Our Lives (1965)

Days of Our Lives

5.3

TV Series

Miss Kenneth

1967

1 episode

 

Ben Gazzara in Run for Your Life (1965)

Run for Your Life

7.6

TV Series

Nurse

1966

1 episode

 

Bill Cosby and Robert Culp in I Spy (1965)

I Spy

7.2

TV Series

Lisa

1966

1 episode

 

Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Judi West in The Fortune Cookie (1966)

The Fortune Cookie

7.2

Elvira

1966

 

Adam West and Burt Ward in Batman (1966)

Batman

7.5

TV Series

Theater Cashier

1966

1 episode

 

Elizabeth Montgomery, Agnes Moorehead, and Dick York in Bewitched (1964)

Bewitched

7.6

TV Series

NurseMiss PerkinsSecretary (Miss Perkins)

1966

3 episodes

 

Ernest Borgnine, Stephen Boyd, Joseph Cotten, Jill St. John, Tony Bennett, Edie Adams, Eleanor Parker, and Elke Sommer in The Oscar (1966)

The Oscar

5.3

Actress (uncredited)

1966

 

Profiles in Courage (1964)

Profiles in Courage

8.2

TV Series

Student

1965

1 episode

 

Joyce Taylor in 13 Frightened Girls (1963)

13 Frightened Girls

5.3

Judy - Liberia

1963

 

Self

Ian Foxx and Ron Brewington in The Actor's Choice (2015)

The Actor's Choice

8.5

TV Series

Self

2016–2021

3 episodes

 

Unsung Hollywood (2014)

Unsung Hollywood

8.1

TV Series

Self

2015

1 episode

 

The Curious Case of Curt Flood (2011)

The Curious Case of Curt Flood

7.3

Self (as Judy Pace Flood)

2011

 

ESPN SportsCentury (1999)

ESPN SportsCentury

7.1

TV Series

Self (as Judy Pace Flood)

2000–2004

2 episodes

 

E! True Hollywood Story (1996)

E! True Hollywood Story

6.5

TV Series

Self

1999

1 episode

 

The 2nd Annual Black Achievement Awards (1979)

The Third Annual Black Achievement Awards

TV Special

Self

1980

 

Don Cornelius in Soul Train (1971)

Soul Train

8.1

TV Series

Self

1972

1 episode

 

The Lee Phillip Show (1956)

The Lee Phillip Show

TV Series

Self

1972

1 episode

 

The Sig Sakowicz Show

TV Series

Self

1972

1 episode

 

It Takes Two

5.9

TV Series

Self

1969

1 episode

 

Johnny Carson in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

8.5

TV Series

Self - Guest

1969

1 episode

 

Soul! (1968)

Soul!

8.8

TV Series

Self

1969

1 episode

 

Soul

9.0

TV Special

Self - Additional Cast

1968

 

Archive Footage

Unsung Presents: Best in Black (2023)

Unsung Presents: Best in Black

3.3

TV Series

Self (archive footage)

2023

1 episode

 

 

Rest in Paradise, Ms. Pace. You will be deeply missed.