A beloved MAS*H star just passed away with one final tribute that will break your heart
Television history was made sadder today with heartbreaking news.
One of the most memorable characters from the greatest war comedy ever made is gone forever.
And a beloved MAS*H star just passed away with one final tribute that will break your heart.
America lost a television legend
Loretta Swit, the Emmy-winning actress who brought Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan to life on the iconic CBS series MAS*H, died Friday at her home in New York City at the age of 87.
Her representative Harlan Boll confirmed that Swit died of suspected natural causes at 12:01 p.m. on May 30.
She was found at 10 a.m. by her maid in her NYC apartment and pronounced dead at noon.
The news has sent shockwaves through Hollywood and among the millions of fans who watched MAS*H during its legendary 11-season run from 1972 to 1983.
For many Americans, Swit wasn’t just an actress – she was part of their family, appearing in their living rooms every week for over a decade.
The show’s series finale remains the most-watched scripted television episode in history, drawing an audience of 106 million viewers.
From villain to hero in television history
Swit inherited the role from Sally Kellerman, who had portrayed Major Houlihan in the 1970 film version of MAS*H.
What she did with that character over 11 seasons was nothing short of remarkable.
In the early seasons, Margaret Houlihan started as a one-dimensional antagonist paired with the unpopular Frank Burns, serving mainly as a target for pranks and ridicule from Hawkeye and Trapper John.
But as the show evolved from broad comedy into something deeper and more meaningful, so did Swit’s character.
As the show transformed from broad comedy into a more thoughtful series that balanced drama with humor, Swit’s character underwent a remarkable evolution as well.
The transformation was groundbreaking for television at the time.
Swit fought for her character to grow beyond the stereotypical “battle-axe” nurse role that was common in the 1970s.
She said in a 2004 discussion for the website The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, “She was [unique] at the time and in her time, which was the ’50s, when [the Korean War] was happening. And she became even more unique, I think, because we allowed her to continue to grow — we watched her evolve. I don’t think that’s ever been done in quite that way.”
An award-winning performance that touched hearts
Swit was Emmy nominated for outstanding performance by a supporting actress in a comedy every year from 1974-83, winning the Emmy in 1980 and 1982.
She appeared in 240 of the show’s 251 episodes, making her one of only two actors (along with Alan Alda as Hawkeye) to appear in both the pilot and series finale.
The series finale featured a 35-second kiss between Swit and Alda that has been called “the most expensive” in television history, estimated at over $500,000 based on the advertising rates during the finale.
But beyond the awards and accolades, Swit created something much more meaningful.
One of her most powerful moments came in an episode called “The Nurses,” where Margaret emotionally declared how she’d always felt ostracized by the nurses under her command — how they’d never so much as offered her “a lousy cup of coffee.”
One fan described the scene: “She reveals to them why she’s always been so tough on them, delivering a speech that’s both powerful and heartbreaking.”
A life dedicated to service beyond the screen
Born Loretta Jane Szwed in Passaic, New Jersey, on November 4, 1937, to Polish immigrants Lester and Nellie Szwed, who didn’t support her show business dreams, she remained determined, taking the stage for the first time at age 7.
She trained as a singer at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and studied acting with Gene Frankel in Manhattan.
Before MAS*H, she paid her dues with guest appearances on shows like Hawaii Five-O, Mission: Impossible, Mannix, and Gunsmoke.
After MAS*H ended, Swit became the first cast member to visit Korea and hosted the syndicated documentary Korean War — The Untold Story.
But perhaps her greatest passion was animal welfare.
She became an active supporter of animal welfare, serving on the boards of Actors and Others for Animals and The Wildlife Waystation and as a spokesperson for the Humane Society. She also founded her own nonprofit called SwitHeart Animal Alliance.
Swit loved to paint and often sold paintings to raise money for her nonprofit.
She never forgot what MAS*H meant to people across America.
When asked about the continuing impact of the show, Swit brought up a telegram from a fan that read, “Dear MAS*H folk: You made me laugh. You made me cry. You made me feel. Thank you.”
“I’ve never forgotten that,” she said. “That’s one hell of a legacy.”
An enduring connection to her television family
She had a close relationship with Harry Morgan, who played Colonel Sherman T. Potter. They became neighbors after the series ended, until his death on December 7, 2011.
Swit continued to stay close to Alda, along with his wife, three daughters, and seven grandchildren.
In her personal life, she was married to actor Dennis Holahan, whom she met on the set of MAS*H, from 1983 until their divorce in 1995.
The loss of Loretta Swit marks the end of an era for television history.
She helped create one of the most beloved characters in American television, a woman who showed strength, vulnerability, and humanity in equal measure.
Her portrayal of Major Margaret Houlihan broke barriers for women on television and proved that even the most seemingly one-dimensional characters could evolve into something beautiful and meaningful.
More importantly, she gave millions of Americans comfort, laughter, and tears during some of the most challenging times in our nation’s history.
MAS*H premiered during the Vietnam War and provided a way for Americans to process the complexities of war, friendship, and human nature.
Swit’s performance was a crucial part of that healing process.
As fans remember her today, they’re not just mourning the loss of an actress – they’re saying goodbye to a piece of their own television childhood and a reminder of when families gathered around the TV set to watch something truly special together.
