Shirley Prestia

Shirley Rose Prestia (August 18, 1947 – October 6, 2011) was an American actress. She guest starred in a number of notable television series including Family Ties, Cheers, St. Elsewhere, The Golden Girls, The Facts of Life, 227, Mr. Belvedere, Babylon 5, L.A. Law, NYPD Blue, Step by Step, The Practice and among other series. Prestia also had recurring roles on the sitcoms Home Improvement (as Delores) and Dharma & Greg (as Janet).^[1][2]

Shirley Prestia
Born	Shirley Rose Prestia (1947-06-18)June 18, 1947 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	October 8, 2011(2011-10-08) (aged 64) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1976–2005

She appeared in the films Final Analysis (1992), Hoffa (1992), Species (1995), Leave It to Beaver (1997), Wag the Dog (1997) and What Women Want (2000).^[2]

Life and early career

Prestia was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She graduated from Mount Carmel Academy high school. She is an alumna of California State University, Chico and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater Arts. Prestia was also one of the original members of The Groundlings comedy troupe.^[3]

Later years and death

Prestia was diagnosed with brain cancer c. 2004. Due to the illness, she retired from acting, with her last acting credit appearing in the pilot episode of the sitcom The War at Home in 2005. She died on October 8, 2011, at age 64, in her hometown of New Orleans, after eight years of living with the disease.^[3]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982	Pandemonium	Morgue Attendant
1986	Hollywood Zap!	Cashier
1991	Write to Kill	Police Matron	Direct-to-video film
1992	Final Analysis	D.A. Kaufman
1992	Hoffa	Hoffa's Secretary
1995	Species	Victoria Roth, Ph.D.
1997	Leave It to Beaver	Claire Hensler
1997	Wag the Dog	Crossfire Moderator
2000	What Women Want	Coffee Shop Customer
2001	The Shrink Is In	Woman in Elevator
2002	Mackenheim	(unknown)	Short film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1976	How to Break Up a Happy Divorce	(uncredited)	Television film
1982	Adams House	Mrs. Drucker	Unsold CBS pilot
1983	Bare Essence	(unknown)	Episode: "Hour Four"
1984	Cheeseball Presents	(unknown)	TV special, also co-writer
1984	St. Elsewhere	Judith Phelps	Episode: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
1985	E/R	Irene	Recurring role, 5 episodes
1985	Family Ties	Receptionist	Episode: "Birth of a Keaton: Part 2"
1985	Benson	Mrs. Riddle	Episode: "The Oval Office"
1985	Santa Barbara	Peter's Landlady	Episode #1.172
1985	Fame	The Nurse	Episode: "Reflections"
1986	Mr. Belvedere	Mrs. Rondanello	Episode: "The Teacher"
1986	The Golden Girls	Zelda	Episode: "The Way We Meet"
1988	The Facts of Life	Miss O' Donnell	Episode: "The Beginning of the End"
1988	Mama's Family	Louise Kambeck	Episode: "Found Money"
1988	Cheers	Nurse	Episode: "How to Win Friends and Electrocute People"
1989	On the Television	Various characters	Appeared in 4 episodes
1989	Married... with Children	Marsha	Episode: "Here's Looking at You, Kid"
1989	227	Peggy Ann Garrison	Episode: "A Pampered Tale"
1989	Night Court	Madame Rochelle	Episode: "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Stephen King, Stephen King"
1989	Mr. Belvedere	Woman #2	Episode: "Fixed"
1989	ALF	Delores	Episode: "It's My Party"
1990	Thirtysomething	Focus Group Member	Episode: "Pulling Away"
1990	Knots Landing	Shopper #1	Episode: "Do Not Attempt to Remove"
1990	The Fanelli Boys	Nina Donatellii	Episodes: "Pilot" and "A Very Fanelli Christmas"
1990	Ann Jillian	(unknown)	Episode: "A Homecoming"
1991	Brooklyn Bridge	Librarian	Episode: "Boys of Summer"
1992	Baby Talk	Irene	Episode: "The Littlest Shoplifter"
1992	For Richer, for Poorer	Waitress	Television film
1992	A Murderous Affair: The Carolyn Warmus Story	The Beautician	Television film
1993	Almost Home	Female Customer	Episode: "Girl and Boy"
1993	Sisters	Margaret	Episode: "Dear Georgie"
1993	L.A. Law	Nina Coffey	Episode: "Foreign Co-respondent"
1993	Mad About You	Tourist	Episode: "Natural History"
1993	Family Album	Mrs. Ferguson	Episode: "Salon, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehn, Goodbye"
1993	Joe's Life	Dr. Sykes	Episode: "You Can't Take This Job... Period"
1994	Step by Step	Betty Jenkins	Episode: "Pretty Woman"
1994	The Mommies	Calorie Crunchers Rep	Episode: "The Exercist"
1994	Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills	Jose's Secretary	Television film
1994	Martin	Madame Anaconda	Episode: "In Search of Martin"
1994	Hardball	Bird Woman	Episode: "Whose Strike Is It Anyway?"
1994	Party of Five	Demanding Customer	Episode: "Worth Waiting For"
1994	NYPD Blue	Jury Foreperson	Episodes: "Trials and Tribulations" and "For Whom the Skill Rolls"
1995	Platypus Man	Nurse Simms	Episode: "The Apartment Show"
1995	Sherman Oaks	Kac	Episode: "Killer Breasts"
1995–1997	Night Stand with Dick Dietrick	Dr. Mattie Gelman	Recurring role, 5 episodes
1995–1999	Home Improvement	Delores	Recurring role, 8 episodes
1995	Hope & Gloria	Eleanore	Episode: "The Dupree Family Christmas"
1995	Can't Hurry Love	Supervisor	Episode: "A Very Kafka Christmas"
1996	Dream On	Maureen	Episode: "Springtime for Tupper"
1996	Babylon 5	Barbara Cooper	Episode: "Shadow Dancing"
1996	Caroline in the City	Ruth Glickman	Episode: "Caroline and the Nice Jewish Boy"
1997	Frasier	Saleswoman	Episode: "My Fair Frasier"
1997	Alright Already	Charlotte	Episode: "Again with the Funeral"
1998	Suddenly Susan	Shirley	Episode: "Not in This Life"
1998	Murphy Brown	Woman	Episode: "Second Time Around"
1998	The Tony Danza Show	Aunt Louise	Episode: "A Christmas Story"
1999	Will & Grace	Mrs. Pressman	Episode: "Election"
1999	The Practice	Attorney Abby Smythe	Episode: "Legacy"
2000	Cursed	Secretary	Pilot episode
2000	Time of Your Life	Arnetta	Episodes: "The Time They Decide to Date" and "The Time They Cheated"
2001	Charmed	Fran Peters	Episode: "Wrestling with Demons"
2001	Family Law	Judge	Episode: "The Quality of Mercy"
2001	Sabrina the Teenage Witch	Betty	Episodes: "Sabrina's Got Spirit" and "Finally!"
2001	Ally McBeal	Saleswoman	Episode: "The Wedding"
2001	Curb Your Enthusiasm	Car Customer #3	Episode: "The Car Salesman"
2001	The Education of Max Bickford	Joanna	Pilot episode
2002	Dharma & Greg	Janet	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2002	Half & Half	Grace	Episode: "The Big Award Episode"
2002	What I Like About You	Aunt Wanda	Episode: "Thanksgiving"
2002	Nikki	Salesclerk	Episode: "Welcome to the Rest of Your Life"
2003	The Jamie Kennedy Experiment	Herself	Episode #2.15
2003	Rent Control	Aunt Rose	Television film
2004	Memron	Janet Kelso	Television film
2004	10-8: Officers on Duty	Judge McGonagle	Episode: "Gypsy Road"
2005	Jake in Progress	Angela	Episode: "Sign Language"
2005	The War at Home	Vicki's Mom	Pilot episode