Peggy Rea, of 'Waltons' and 'Dukes of Hazzard' Fame, Dies at 89

Actress Peggy Rea, best known for her roles on 'The Waltons,' 'Dukes of Hazzard' and 'Grace Under Fire,' died Saturday at her home in Toluca Lake, Calif. She was 89. The cause of death was heart failure, according to The New York Times.

Rea became a fixture on television in the late 1970s and early 1980s, playing Olivia Walton's cousin Rose on 'The Waltons' and Boss Hoggs wife Lulu on 'The Dukes of Hazzard.' The actress also appeared on 'All in the Family,' 'The Golden Girls' and 'Step By Step.'

In the late 1940s, Rea moved from her native Los Angeles to New York City to pursue a career on the stage. She appeared in Tennessee Williams' 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and Cole Porter's 'Out of this World' before returning to LA and giving up acting for nearly a decade to work as a production secretary on 'Gunsmoke.'

She made a few appearances on 'I Love Lucy' in 1953, but didn't return to acting full time until 1962, with a role in 'Have Gun – Will Travel.' Rea went on to make countless TV appearances and was featured in a variety of films, including 'In Country' with Bruce Willis, 'Love Field' with Michelle Pfeiffer and 'Devil in a Blue Dress' with Denzel Washington.

Rea's last TV role was as Jean Kelly, the feisty mother-in-law to Brett Butler's titular character on the sitcom 'Grace Under Fire.'