Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE starting June 12 2026

Actor Val Jellay dies age 89

Actor and performer Val Jellay has died of pneumonia at age 89.

Actor Val Jellay
Australian actor Val Jellay has died of pneumonia at age 89. (AAP)

Australian actor Val Jellay has died of pneumonia at age 89.

Jellay was best known for her role as Nancy Buckley in the television series The Flying Doctors, where she starred alongside husband Maurie Fields.

In a Twitter post, Jellay's comedian son Marty Fields said his mother died of pneumonia on Saturday.

"She lived an amazing life," he wrote.

"She's back with her beloved Maurie now. I will miss her very much."

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

On Sunday, Fields shared that his mother was in intensive care battling pneumonia. A day later he said she was on life support and fully sedated.

Jellay was born in 1927 and began performing in vaudeville before moving to television.

As well as The Flying Doctors, she appeared in a number of other television series, including Prisoner, Neighbours and Homicide and was a regular on Good Morning Australia.

She was married to Maurie Fields from 1960 until Fields died in 1995.


1 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world