Beverley Owen - The Original Marilyn Munster - Dies At 81

It was one of the all-time best TV gags: in The Munsters, a family of monsters lived together in a typical suburban neighborhood.

There was Herman, the Frankenstein father figure, his wife Lily, a vampire, her equally monstrous father, and their wolfboy son Eddie. Last but not least, there was Marilyn Munster, Herman's beautiful, 100% human teenage niece.

It was a challenging role, being the one "normal" figure in a house full of kooky monsters, but actress Beverley Owen pulled it off with style in the show's first season.

Sadly, her co-star Butch Patrick (Eddie) confirmed this weekend that Owen has passed away at age 81.

"Beautiful Beverly Owen has left us," Patrick wrote on Facebook. "What a sweet soul. I had the biggest crush on her. RIP Bev and thanks for your 13 memorable Marilyn Munster episodes."

Owen's daughter, Polly Stone, confirmed the news to TMZ, revealing that Owen battled ovarian cancer before passing away at her home in Vermont last Thursday, surrounded by friends and family.

Stone said her mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, but kept the news private.

Watch Beverley act alongside Al Lewis (Grandpa) in this colorized scene:

Owen left The Munsters after the first season (and was replaced by Pat Priest) when she married producer Jon Stone. But the show's reruns have made her an indelible part of the beloved series' history.

Before giving up her acting career, Owen also made her mark on other classic TV shows, from soap operas like As the World Turns, Another World, and The Doctors to Wagon Train.

Stone and Owen divorced in 1974 but shared two daughters together. He passed away in 1997, at age 65, from complications of Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS).

[H/T: TMZ]

Rest in peace Beverley. Your classic episodes will always entertain us!