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Dina Merrill, born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton, died in her East Hampton home on Monday, May 22.
She was 93 years old.
Her son, Stanley H. Rumbough III, confirmed her death to The New York Times.
Ms. Merrill was an actress well known for her roles on both stage and screen. She made her debut in the play “The Mermaid Singing” in 1945. She later starred in films such as 1959’s “Operation Petticoat,” and “Butterfield 8” in 1960. She was well known on eastern Long Island for her philanthropic work and donations to the arts.
She and her husband, Ted Hartley, former CEO of RKO Pictures, were longtime residents of Montauk and donors for decades to Guild Hall in East Hampton. In Guild Hall’s John Drew Theater, the Dina Merrill Pavilion is named after her. Ms. Merrill was awarded the Guild Hall Academy of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. She and her husband hosted benefits at their East Hampton home for organizations such as New York City Mission Society, which aims to break the cycle of poverty for New York’s children, youth and families.
Aside from her husband, she is survived by her children from her first marriage, Nina Rumbough Roosenburg and Stanley H. Rumbough III, and a stepson, Philippe Hartley, according to The New York Times.
Mr. Rumbough told The Times that Ms. Merrill had Lewy Body dementia. Lewy Body is the second most common type of progressive dementia, according to the Mayo Clinic. Protein deposits, called Lewy bodies, develop in nerve cells in the brain regions. The deposits affect thinking, memory and movement.
