Beloved children’s TV star dead at 78: ‘One of the kindest, sweetest, funniest women’ – syracuse.com
Lynne Marie Stewart attends as The Groundlings Honor the Late Pee-Wee Herman at The Groundlings Theatre & School on July 22, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lila Seeley/Getty Images)Getty ImagesA beloved children’s television star is dead at age 78.Lynne Marie Stewart, best known for playing Miss Yvonne on “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” and Charlie Day’s mother on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” died Friday. A cause of death was not announced, but her manager told Deadline that she had been recently diagnosed with a tumor between her liver and gallbladder.“My heart is breaking upon hearing the news of my dear friend @lynnestewart78 Lynne Stewart’s passing,” wrote Cassandra Peterson, who worked with Stewart in “The Elvira Show” and “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark.” “One of the kindest, sweetest, funniest women who ever lived. The iconic Miss Yvonne of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: She’ll always be ‘the most beautiful woman in Puppetland.’”Stewart, Peterson and Paul Reubens were all members of The Groundlings comedy troupe in the 1970s. Peterson is best known for her “Elvira” character and Reubens, who died in 2023, was best known for his “Pee-wee Herman” persona.Stewart made regular appearances on “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” as Miss Yvonne alongside a cast that included Reubens, Phil Hartman (as Captain Carl) and Laurence Fishburne (as Cowboy Curtis). The kids’ show aired Saturday mornings on CBS from 1986 to 1990 and led to several “Pee-wee” movies that also featured Stewart.Lynne Marie Stewart, left, plays Miss Yvonne opposite Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman in the CBS children’s television series ‘Pee-wee’s Playhouse’, filmed at Culver Studios in Culver City, California, 1989. (Photo by Brian D. McLaughlin/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)Getty ImagesIn more recent years, Stewart was known for her role on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” as Bonnie Kelly, whose son Charlie Kelly (played by Charlie Day) co-owned Paddy’s Pub. Her manager told Deadline that she had recently wrapped filming appearances for the show’s upcoming 17th season.“RIP TV mom,” Day wrote on Instagram. “Thanks for 20 years of laughs. You deserve a standing ovation. 💔💔💔.”Stewart, sometimes credited as just “Lynne Stewart,” appeared in more than 140 movies and TV shows, including “American Graffiti,” “The Running Man,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Dunston Checks In,” “Clear and Present Danger,” “Austin & Ally,” “2 Broke Girls,” “Arrested Development,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Mork & Mindy,” “Laverne & Shirley,” “The Golden Girls” and “M*A*S*H.” She also played Maya Rudolph’s mother in “Bridesmaids” and Scott Aukerman’s mom on “Comedy Bang Bang.”“I lost a friend today. And the world lost a great soul,” wrote “Pee-wee Herman Show” stage manager Jonathan Stark on Facebook. “She was the kindest most loving person I ever knew and she was without question, one of the most talented and funny people ever.”If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025).© 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.YouTube’s privacy policy is available here and YouTube’s terms of service is available here.Ad Choices
