Actress Judy Pace, known for her work in 1960s and 1970s television and film, has died at the age of 83 while visiting relatives in California.
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Pace died peacefully in her sleep on March 11, 2026, while staying with family members in Marina del Rey, according to a statement from her daughters, attorney Shawn Pace Mitchell and actress Julia Pace Mitchell. They confirmed the news to several media outlets and said she was surrounded by loved ones at the time of her death.
Born June 15, 1942, in Los Angeles, Pace built a pioneering career in Hollywood during an era when opportunities for Black actresses remained limited. She began as a model before transitioning to acting in the early 1960s. Her first film appearance came in the 1963 movie 13 Frightened Girls.
Pace gained national attention for her role as Vickie Fletcher on the ABC drama Peyton Place, becoming one of the few Black actresses to appear regularly on a major primetime series at the time.
She later starred in the ABC series The Young Lawyers, where her performance earned an NAACP Image Award in 1970 for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. The honor cemented her reputation as a rising television star.
Judy Pace Went On To Become A Prominent Actress
Pace also appeared in numerous films associated with the emerging “Blaxploitation” era of the 1970s, including Cotton Comes to Harlem and The Slams. She reached a broad television audience in the acclaimed 1971 TV movie Brian’s Song.
Throughout her career, Pace made guest appearances on popular shows such as Batman, Bewitched, and The Mod Squad.
Beyond her screen work, Pace also made history in entertainment culture. She became the first Black woman to appear as a bachelorette on the television game show The Dating Game and later became one of the first Black actresses signed to a contract with Columbia Studios.
In her personal life, Pace married actor Don Mitchell, with whom she had two daughters, before the couple later divorced. She later married former Major League Baseball star Curt Flood, remaining with him until his death in 1997.