Last surviving cast member of 'I Love Lucy,' Shirley Mitchell dies at 94

I Love Lucy's Marion Strong – Shirley Mitchell – has died at age 94.

According to TMZ, Mitchell, the last-surviving adult cast member of the show, died of a heart failure in her Westwood condo Monday.

The woman who played Lucy Ricardo's friend and set Lucy and Ricky up on their first date was a part of the CBS show's cast from 1953 to 1954, reports the Huffington Post. She was featured in only three episodes, but played a major role in Lucy's story.

Additional sitcoms Mitchell appeared on included Bachelor Father, The Beverly Hillbillies, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, Green Acres and Petticoat Junction. She also had roles in several films, including Jamboree, Desk Set, Big Business and The War of the Roses.

Mitchell's first husband was Julian Frieden – they had two children, Scott and Brooke, together but their relationship did not stick. She then married songwriter Jay Livingston in 1992 and remained married to him until he died in 2001.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons