Carolyn Conwell, who memorably played The Young and The Restless' Mary Williams, died on October 22 after a long illness. She was 82.
Doug Davidson (Paul Williams) announced the sad news on his Facebook page after attending her funeral Sunday. "She was the finest actor I have ever known and such a giving soul," Davidson said. "Her progeny are fabulous people. A credit to a life well lived. I truly can't say enough about her. I love her and miss her presence. God bless her and her family."
Conwell's run on Y&R lasted from 1980 through 2004 and included many stand out scenes. Mary was famous for her abiding faith, her sauerkraut and ribs, and her steadfast disapproval of her son Paul's girlfriends.
In recent years, Conwell had been approached more than once by Y&R to reprise her role, but age and illness prevented her from accepting the invitations.
"I personally called Carolyn when she had refused the first time and she just said that it would be very difficult for her to work anymore," Doug Davidson told news magazine Our Prattville in 2009. "It wasn't as though she wasn't approached. She was ... and they were willing to do all kinds of things, but you know as you get older it's just not as easy to jump back into the work force."
A veteran of stage and film, Conwell's résumé ran the gamut from Hamlet to co-starring opposite Tony Curtis in The Boston Strangler. She remained active in local theater until her retirement.
She is survived by her daughter and two sons.
