Actress Patty Maloney, best known for her role on Little House on the Prairie and a wide array of TV and film appearances, has passed away at the age of 89. Her brother, Dave Myrabo, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that she died on Monday, March 31, in hospice care in Winter Park, Florida, following a series of strokes over the past few years.
Born Patricia Anne Maloney on March 17, 1936, in Perkinsville, New York, she stood just 3 feet 11 inches tall (119 cm) and had a vibrant career that began in early childhood. She was already performing on Broadway by the age of three.
After the death of her father when she was seven, Maloney moved with her family to Winter Park, Florida, where she was raised by her mother and stepfather. From a young age, she demonstrated a love for entertaining, performing in traveling shows, with summer carnivals, and even spending a year with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Maloney earned a degree from the University of Florida and initially worked as a keypunch operator before landing a job at National Airlines in New York, where she met Chicago printer Joseph Vitek. The two married in 1961 and settled in Chicago before Vitek tragically died of melanoma in 1968.
Following her husband’s death, Maloney returned to her passion for acting. She worked with the Krofft brothers on their puppet show Fol-de-Rol and gained recognition for her roles in Far Out Space Nuts as Honk and the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, where she portrayed Lumpy, Chewbacca’s child. She also voiced Darla Hood in the animated version of The Little Rascals.
Her television credits included appearances on popular shows like Donny & Marie, Charlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, where she played Tina, a robot waitress.
In 1982, Maloney made a memorable appearance on Little House on the Prairie as Alice Bates. Her film credits include The Lord of the Rings (1978), Under the Rainbow (1981), The Ice Pirates (1984), and Ernest Saves Christmas (1988).
In 2010, Maloney was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, which affected her central vision. Despite health challenges, her legacy as a dynamic and beloved performer lives on in the hearts of fans across generations.
