1 day Ago By Angelica Cheyenne
Little House on the Prairie star Patty Maloney dies at the age of 89. Her brother, Dave Myrabo, confirmed her death on Tuesday. Patty, who stood at only 3-foot-eleven, was in hospice care in Winter Park, Florida, as she suffered "several" strokes in the years prior.
"For a little person growing up in a big world, she did everything she wanted to do," Dave shared. While Patty is most known for her appearances on Little House on the Prairie, Patty is also known for portraying Chewbacca's son Lumpy in the Star Wars Holiday Special and Honk in the Sid & Marty Krofft series Far Out Space Nuts. According to Men's Journal, Patty's health issues began in 2010 with an age-related macular degeneration (AMD) diagnosis.
Per the Daily Mail, AMD is an eye condition that can cause blurred or reduced central vision, and is common cause of vision loss among older adults. Patty's other acting credits include the Wizard of Oz feature Under the Rainbow in 1981, and Charlie's Angels, Trapper John M.D.
, The Love Boat and more. She also played Darla Hood in the animated TV series version of The Little Rascals and appeared in Star Trek: Voyager in 1996. Patty was born Patricia Anne Maloney in 1936, and was a native of Perkinsville, New York, bur raised in Winter Park, Florida by her mother and stepfather.
In her youth, she performed in carnivals and circuses, and 1961 she married Joseph Vitek. After Joseph died from melanoma in 1968, her friends suggested she return to performing as a way to cope with her grief. Many have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to mourn Patty, and honor her on-camera work.
"Patty Maloney, who played Chewbacca’s son Lumpy in The Star Wars Holiday Special, has passed away at the age of 89. May the Force be with you always," one X user wrote. A second added, " RIP to consummate entertainer Patty Maloney, 89, one of Hollywood’s most successful little people.
" Meanwhile, another shared, "Damn, this one hits hard," and someone else mentioned, "Rest in peace.".
