RIP: LORETTA SWIT

Loretta Swit, who played Maj. Margaret Houlihan on the TV series "M*A*S*H," has died, a representative for her confirmed to CBS News. She was 87.

Swit died at her home in New York City, her rep, B. Harlan Boll, said in a statement to CBS News on Friday. She was believed to have died of natural causes.

Swit starred on stage and screen, but she was perhaps best known for her long-running role as the head nurse who was a foil to Alan Alda's Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce on "M*A*S*H," which aired for 11 seasons on CBS, from 1972 to 1983.

Swit won two Emmys for her performances on "M*A*S*H" and was nominated eight other times for her work on the show. She was also nominated for four Golden Globes.

As the show developed and incorporated more dramatic plot lines with the comedic ones, Swit wanted to portray Houlihan as more than the "Hot Lips" nickname her character was given while having an affair with Linville's Burns.

"Loretta Swit's portrayal of Margaret 'Hot Lips' Houlihan was groundbreaking – bringing heart, humor, and strength to one of television comedy's most enduring roles," Journey Gunderson, executive director of the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York, said in a statement. "Her talent extended well beyond that iconic character, with acclaimed work on both stage and screen that showcased her intelligence, versatility, and passion."

Apart from her acting career, Swit was 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. In 2016, she founded Swit Heart Animal Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to ending animal cruelty. She used proceeds from her original artwork to raise funds.

In 2019, after a 21-year absence, she returned to the screen in the religious film Play the Flute, about a youth group. Swit was married to actor Dennis Holahan, whom she met on the set of M*A*S*H, from 1983 until their divorce in 1995.

Donations in her memory can be to Actors & Others for Animals or the Swit Heart Animal Alliance, which she set up to protect, rescue, train and care for animals and preserve their habitat. She recently created a fragrance and a necklace, the sales of which supported her efforts...