Judy Pace, Trailblazing Actress, Dies at 83

Judy Pace, a trailblazing actress and model who broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood during the 1960s and 1970s, died peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday while visiting family in Marina del Rey, California. She was 83.

Pace's daughters, attorney Shawn Pace Mitchell and actress Julia Pace Mitchell, confirmed the death in a statement to media outlets. The family described her passing as serene, surrounded by loved ones during the trip.

Born Judy Lenteen Pace on June 15, 1942, in Los Angeles, she grew up in the city, the daughter of an airplane mechanic father and a mother who owned a prominent Black-owned apparel shop. After graduating from Dorsey High School and attending Los Angeles City College, Pace trained in modeling under her sister Betty. In 1961, she became the youngest model for Ebony Fashion Fair's national tour and later served as the first television and print spokesmodel for Fashion Fair Cosmetics, expanding opportunities for Black women in advertising and fashion.

Pace's entertainment career began with modeling but quickly shifted to acting. In 1963, she made her film debut as a Liberian teenager in the Cold War spy thriller "13 Frightened Girls," directed by...