Yvonne Fedderson, prominent philanthropist, retired actress, and co-founder of Childhelp passed away on January 23, 2026, at the age of 90.
Born Yvonne Glee Lime in Glendale, California, on April 7, 1935, Fedderson began her career as an actress after graduating from the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse. Performing under the name Yvonne Lime, she appeared in numerous film and television roles in the 1950s and ’60s, including the “Ozzie and Harriet Show” and “The Rainmaker” starring Burt Lancaster. She also appeared in “Loving You,” starring Elvis Presley, placing her among Hollywood’s biggest rising talents.
Fedderson’s most enduring legacy, however, was her lifelong commitment to serving vulnerable children. In 1959, alongside friend and co-star Sara O’Meara, she co-founded International Orphans, Inc., which later became Childhelp. When she and O’Meara were called to conceive of a national response to child abuse, Fedderson often said she knew it would require “a lot of hearts,” a belief that helped shape the organization’s mission and growth.
Read the press release and “Yvonne Lime Fedderson, Actress in ‘I Was a Teenage Werewolf’ and ‘The Rainmaker,’ Dies at 90” in the Hollywood Reporter.
