The family of Kellye Nakahara, who played Nurse Kellye on MAS*H, has passed away at the age of 72.
Kellye's daughter, Nalani Coleman, confirmed the news in a post on Facebook: "My mom was my best friend. We talked or saw each other every day. We laughed and giggled and always had the best time together. She was so genuinely funny and kind and people were drawn to her. I still want to be her when I grow up. She passed on 2/16. We are all devastated and will miss her more than can be known."
While Kellye is best known for her role on the beloved show, she began her career working as an artist. She also worked on several other projects, including roles in Clue, She’s Having a Baby, and Black Day Blue Night.
Kellye spent some of her time working as a watercolor artist and exhibited her work under her married name, Kellye Wallett.
Kellye was born in 1947 in Oahu, Hawaii. She moved to San Francisco when she was young and sold her watercolor work at Polk Gallery in the city. She eventually settled in Los Angeles after moving there with her husband, David Wallett. She died on February 16 from cancer at her home in Pasadena, California.
Originally, the role of Nurse Kellye was meant to be a background part with very few speaking lines. However, the character grew in popularity over the years, and Kellye became more popular as well. Kellye was one of the few characters who appeared in every single episode of the show.
MAS*H was based on a book written by Richard Hooker about his experience as a surgeon at the 8055th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. The show follows the fictional 4077th MASH unit. The show was also a spin-off of the film that debuted in 1970.
The show originally aired from 1972 to 1983. The two big stars of the series were Alan Alda as Hawkeye Pierce and Wayne Rogers as Trapper John McIntyre. While the show ended in the 1980s, there is still a large fan base, and rumors that a studio plans to revive the series are often floating around.
After her time on the show, Kellye and several of her castmates traveled the United States and worked as spokespeople for IBM. She also continued her work as an artist, primarily painting watercolors of scenes from around Pasadena. Her work is on loan to the city and can be seen at the Pasadena Police Department Headquarters and City Hall.
She was also asked to paint an ornament for the official White House Christmas tree in 2008. Congressman Adam Schiff asked her to paint the ornament for a tree that was in the White House's Blue Room, and Kellye also went to a dinner reception at the White House that Laura Bush hosted.
The news of her death was confirmed on her studio page on Facebook. News of her passing has saddened her community in Pasadena. Kellye was very passionate about staying in touch with her former costars, and she still hosted regular dinners and potlucks for them in her backyard in Pasadena.
