Caroline Margaret McWilliams

Caroline Margaret McWilliams, accomplished actress and director, passed away peacefully at her home in LA on February 11, 2010. Ms. McWilliams is survived by her loving son Sean Douglas of Los Angeles, sisters Patti McWilliams (Marge Mount) and Norma Liedtke of San Francisco and Kelly-Jo Dvareckas (Jack) of Nashua, NH, nephews John Liedtke and Casey Dvareckas and niece Jill Dvareckas. Her parents, Dr. Joseph G. and Patti Dwelle McWilliams, predeceased her.

Caroline grew up in Barrington, RI. She majored in drama at Carnegie Mellon University and at the Pasadena Playhouse. Her career included numerous feature television roles, starting with her breakthrough role as Janet Mason on “Guiding Light” and followed by starring roles on “Soap,” “Benson,” “Nearly Departed,” and “Beverly Hills 90210.” Broadway credits include “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” and “The Rothschilds”. Off-Broadway Caroline performed in productions for the NY Shakespeare Festival and American Shakespeare Festival. Film credits include “Mermaids,” “White Water Summer” and “Highway Time.” Caroline’s director credits include “Divorcons,” “Love Letters,” “The Making of ’n Justice,” “Chang and Eng,” “You Haven’t Changed a Bit and Other Lies,” benefit productions for ALS.

Off-camera Caroline loved life and adventure, happiest spending time with family and friends while kayaking and hiking in New Hampshire, carving fresh tracks on the slopes, roller skating at the beach, body-surfing in the waves of Cape Cod and doing the bunny hop around the Chatham Bandstand.

Memorial services are Saturday morning 2/20 at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church-Westwood (LA) and at a future date in New York. In lieu of flowers, please donate to: The Red Cross Haiti Relief Effort (www.redcross.org) Dana Farber Cancer Institute Multiple Myeloma Research Program (44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115) or The Actors Fund (212.221.7300).