Betsy Palmer, the actress known for her role as Mrs. Voorhees in Friday the 13th passed away. She died on Friday in Connecticut and is survived by her daughter, Melissa Merendino. She was 88 years old.
In the classic slasher film Friday the 13th, Palmer played the mother of killer Jason Voorhees. Though Jason is the villain of the series, Mrs. Voorhees was the original killer, taking revenge on a group of counselors at Camp Crystal Lake after her son drowned while not being watched by counselors. She appeared in flashbacks throughout the next few movies in the series. The fan favorite actress of the Friday the 13th series was a guest at horror conventions for years after her appearances in the movies. She also participated in several documentaries for the horror flicks.
Palmer was born Pamela Betsy Hrunek in East Chicago, Indiana. Her TV and film career began in the early 1950s in Martinsville, U.S.A., I’ll Buy That, and Inner Sanctum. She appeared in several episodes of Goodyear Playhouse, Studio One in Hollywood, and The United States Steel Hour. Other TV spots included The Love Boat, T.J. Hooker, Charles in Charge, Newhart, Murder, She Wrote, Knots Landing, Columbo, and Hang Time. Her final role was in Bell Witch: The Movie in 2007.
