Shirl Conway

Shirley Conway was born on June 13, 1916. She was a brilliant Broadway as well as America based Television actress. She graduated from the University of Michigan. She was a model for John Robert Powers. She married the person in her own field, actor Bill Johnson. Her role of Ruth Winter from Plain and Fancy was worth appreciating, and this got her Theatre World Award.

This was the best a comedy film of the year 1955. She toured along Auntie Mame as well as made appearance in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Her character of Liz Thorpe in the famous series Nurse bagged her nomination at Emmy award in the year 1963. Her other television series are Caesar's Hour, Route 66, and The Defenders. She later shifted to Washington and became founder of Harstine Island Theatre Club. She worked in the creations of this clubs until her 80’s.She died on May 7, 2007.

Another version of the bio...

Shirl Conway, born as Shirley Elizabeth Crosman, was an extremely talented Broadway actress. She was also a famous American TV actress. She was born in Franklinville, New York. She was a descendent of a Broadway actress, Henrietta Crosman, who performed during the early part of the 20th century. Shirl attended the University of Michigan. She started her career as a John Robert Powers model as she appeared on the cover of Redbook Magazine. In 1955, she won a Theatre World Award for her performance in a Broadway musical comedy, Plain and Fancy, in which she played the character of Ruth Winters.

The show was set in an Amish country in Pennsylvania. This show went on for 461 performances. In the late 1950s, she toured in the U.S. and Australia as Auntie Mame. She appeared in several other Broadway shows where she played different characters, like in Eddie Cantor’s Banjo Eyes. She also performed in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with Carol Channing. Even though she did several types of work, she was best known for her work in the CBS drama The Nurses, which ran for about three years. She got an Emmy award for her role in the show. She also did other television work like in The Defenders, The Naked City, Caesar’s Hours, Joe & Mabel, Route 66, etc.

She was best known for her work in Caesar’s Hours, after The Nurse. In 1972, Shirl moved to western Washington. She starred in several shows related with the Seattle Repertory in the 1970s. She started a club called the Harstine Island Theater Club in which she directed, produced, starred and wrote all kinds of things. She participated in her club while she was in her 80s. She was involved in three other marriages before she got married to her fellow actor, Bill Johnson that is, with Larson, Gordon and Bernie Wayne. She is survived by a daughter. Shirl passed away on May 7 in Shelton, Washington. She was 90 years old at that time.