Gloria O’Connor, widow of ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ star Donald O’Connor, dies at 84

Gloria O’Connor, the widow of Singin’ In The Rain actor Donald O’Connor, has died at age 84.

Their daughter, Alicia, told The Hollywood Reporter that she died of natural causes at their Thousand Oaks, California home.

O’Connor, who was born Gloria Noble, had an MGM contract in the early 1950’s. According to her IMDb profile, she starred in the Jane Powell starrer Small Town Girl and had uncredited roles in skirts Ahoy!, Latin Lovers and The Affairs of Dobie Gillis. All four were released in 1952 and 1953.

Her husband worked at MGM, where he made Singin’ In The Rain. THR notes that O’Connor was having lunch with Elizabeth Taylor when she met him at the studio commissary. They married in 1956 and stayed together until his death in 2003.

Donald O’Connor remains best known for starring alongside Gene Kelly in Singin’ In The Rain and later starred in There’s No Business Like Showbusiness with Marilyn Monroe.

O’Connor is survived by their children Fred, Kevin and Alicia and grandchildren Caitlin, Calli, Jackson and Jessi.

Her death comes after the loss of another MGM actress, Esther Williams.