The soap opera world has suffered a tragic loss.

Marguerite Ray, the first Black performer to be a series regular on the long-running CBS soap The Young And The Restless, has died at the age of 89.

According to an obituary in The East Bay Times, Ray passed away in Los Angeles on Nov. 18.

Ray was known for her role as Mamie Johnson on Y&R from 1989 to 1990. She was the first actress to play the character. A housekeeper for the Abbott family, Mamie ushered in the introduction of more Black characters on the Y&R canvas, most notably her nieces, Drucilla Barber Winters (Victoria Rowell) and Olivia Barber Winters (Tonya Lee Williams).

Aside from the soap, Ray also appeared in The Rockford Files, Quincy, M.E., Dynasty and Sanford.

Marguerite Ray

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