Dawn Wells once appeared daily on Roanoke Valley televisions in the role of Mary Ann, the down home farm girl trapped with six other castaways on the âGilliganâs Islandâ sitcom, which made millions more fans in syndication than it ever did during its original 1964-67 run on CBS.
During the last years of her life, it wasnât at all uncommon for Wells to visit the Roanoke Valley in person.
On Dec. 30, at age 82, Wells became one of the most famous people in the United States to die from COVID-19-related causes. In marking the tragedy, major news outlets underscored how the actress leaned into her most famous characterâs wholesome image, noting that she released an advice book in 2014 called âWhat Would Mary Ann Do? A Guide to Life.â