MORE FROM FORBESNedra Talley Ross, Last Surviving Ronettes Singer, Dies At 80By Tim Lammers<\/a><\/p>\n Gwen Farrell\u2019s family announced her death in a post on a GoFundMe page<\/a> on Friday, where they are looking to raise money to cover Farrell\u2019s funeral and burial expenses.<\/p>\n \u201cGwendolyn \u2018Gwen\u2019 Yancey Farrell was born in Austin, Texas, and lived a life full of strength, character, and quiet resilience,\u201d Farrell\u2019s family wrote on GoFundMe. \u201cShe was the daughter of Lovie Yancey, founder of Fatburger, and carried forward that same determination and independence throughout her life.\u201d<\/p>\n Farrell appeared in a recurring role in 26 episodes of M*A*S*H<\/a> from 1972 to 1983. She played various characters in the series, from uncredited nurse roles<\/a> in Season 1 in 1972 to various turns as Nurse Butler, Nurse Wilson, Nurse Able and Nurse Gwen in Seasons 2 through 9 and Season 11.<\/p>\n Farrell\u2019s life, however, expanded far beyond her screen roles, including a pioneering work as a boxing referee.<\/p>\n MORE FROM FORBESMariclare Costello, Teacher Rosemary On \u2018The Waltons\u2019, Dies At 90By Tim Lammers<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIn 1980, Gwen stepped into the boxing world as a referee in California, a space where women were rarely seen at the time,\u201d the Farrell family GoFundMe page reads. \u201cWith confidence, fairness, and unwavering composure, she earned the respect of fighters, trainers, and fans alike. She didn\u2019t just do the job; she broke barriers and proved that strength comes in many forms.\u201d<\/p>\n Farrell\u2019s screen credits as a boxing referee include a stint on ESPN Top Rank Boxing in 1993. On June 5, 1988, Farrell made history by becoming the first female to referee a world title fight when she officiated a junior-middleweight match between Pedro Ortega and Luis \u201cYory Boy\u201d Campas in Tijuana, Mexico, according to the Los Angeles Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 2005, Farrell\u2019s career as a referee earned her a spot in the World Boxing Hall of Fame<\/a> (as Gwen Adair).<\/p>\n Gwen Farrell Also Appeared In \u2018Starsky And Hutch\u2019 And A \u2018Billy Jack\u2019 Movie<\/p>\n Gwen Farrell\u2019s screen debut came in an uncredited role in the 1972 Jim Brown action thriller Black Gunn. She also appeared in uncredited bit parts in the 1973 dystopian sci-fi classic Soylent Green, and the 1974 disaster thrillers Earthquake and The Towering Inferno.<\/p>\n In 1975, Farrell appeared in the uncredited role of Diane Sills in the police procedural Starsky and Hutch in one episode in 1975, as a bit role as a supporting actress in the dramatic thriller Billy Jack Goes to Washington in 1977.<\/p>\n Farrell\u2019s recurring turns in various roles on M*A*S*H were her last screen projects.<\/p>\n MORE FROM FORBESRoger Sweet, \u2018He-Man\u2019 Creator, Dies At 91By Tim Lammers<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/61fc5e04a7c7a162bc6d802affaa71fb.jpeg\"\/)
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