The Young and the Restless, In Memoriam, Judy Pace
Pace was born on June 15, 1942, in Los Angeles. She modeled for Ebony Fashion Fair, a traveling fashion show, in 1961. Pace made her film debut in 13 Frightened Girls, a Cold War spy movie directed by William Castle. She was the first Black actress under contract at Columbia Studios.
Her many TV appearances included roles on Batman, Bewitched, The Flying Nun, I Spy, Tarzan, and The Mod Squad. Pace won the NAACP Image Award for Best Actress for playing Pat Walters on The Young Lawyers.
Pace played the role of Miss Kenneth on Days of our Lives in 1967. Julia posted a headshot of her mother on Instagram for Mother’s Day, which can be seen above.
Judy Pace, football, films, and philanthropy
In the 1970s, the actress returned to the big screen, appearing in Cotton Comes to Harlem. She played Linda Sayers, the spouse of football player Gale Sayers, in the critically acclaimed film Brian’s Song, which told the story of Chicago Bears football players Brian Piccolo (James Caan) and Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams), and their friendship that grew even deeper after Piccolo was diagnosed with a fatal disease.
In 1971, Pace founded the Kwanza Foundation along with Nichelle Nichols (ex-Lucinda, The Young and the Restless; Uhura, Star Trek), supporting Black women working in film, providing scholarships to minority students who are interested in pursuing careers in the arts.
Pace’s last credit was a four-episode arc on the series Beauty and the Baller, playing the part of Delores.
The actress is survived by daughters Shawn (an attorney) and Julia, a grandson, Stephen Lamar Hightower III, and son-in-law Otto Strong. The family has requested that donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made in Judy Pace’s name to the NAACP.
Soap Central sends sincere condolences to Julia Pace Mitchell (ex-Sofia, The Young and the Restless) and her family at this difficult time.
