Kathryn Crosby, actress and widow of Oscar-winner Bing Crosby, dies aged 90

She died of natural causes on Friday at her home in the Californian city of Hillsborough, a family spokesman said on Saturday.

Appearing under her stage name of Kathryn Grant, she appeared opposite Tony Curtis in Mister Cory in 1957 and Victor Mature in The Big Circus in 1959.

She made five movies with film noir director Phil Karlson, including Tight Spot and The Phenix City Story, both in 1955.

Her other leading men included Jack Lemmon in Operation Mad Ball, James Darren in The Brothers Rico and James Stewart in Anatomy Of A Murder, directed by Otto Preminger.

Born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff on November 25, 1933, in Texas, she graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in fine arts. She arrived in Hollywood and began her movie career in 1953. She met Bing Crosby while doing interviews for a column she wrote about Hollywood for her hometown newspaper.

They were married in 1957, when she was 23 and he was 54. She curtailed her acting career after the wedding, although she appeared often with Crosby and their three children on his Christmas television specials and in Minute Maid orange juice commercials.

She became a registered nurse in 1963. In the 1970s, she hosted a morning talk show on KPIX-TV in northern California.

After Crosby’s death at the age of 74 in 1977, from a heart attack after golfing in Spain, she appeared in stage productions of Same Time, Next Year and Charley’s Aunt.

She co-starred with John Davidson and Andrea McArdle in the 1996 Broadway revival of State Fair. For 16 years until 2001, she hosted the Crosby National golf tournament in Bermuda Run, North Carolina.

She is survived by children Harry, Mary, an actress best known for the TV show Dallas, and Nathaniel, a successful amateur golfer. She was married to Maurice Sullivan for 10 years before he was killed in a 2010 car accident.