Mary Stuart (actress)
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Mary Stuart (July 4, 1926 - February 28, 2002) was an American soap opera actress. She was born Mary Stuart Houchins in Miami, Florida, but grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
After appearing in various bit parts in several movies throughout the 1940s, Warner Brothers offered her a three-year contract in 1948. After her contract was up, CBS offered her a role in a new undertaking: the daytime serial. The first serial, The First Hundred Years, was canceled after just one year on the air. The executives at CBS were wary of launching a second show, but they saw hope in Stuart.
They cast her as midwestern housewife Joanne on the new serial, entitled Search for Tomorrow. The show turned out to be very successful, and Miss Stuart became synonymous with the show and her character. The show ran for thirty-five years before it was canceled in 1986. After taking bit roles in other soap operas, Stuart settled into a much-deserved retirement. However, the soap world came calling once more, and she accepted the role of Meta Bauer on Guiding Light in 1996. She played the role until her death in 2002.
The cause of death was complications from a stroke.