Shelley Fabares’ Death Certificate Lists Acute Respiratory Distress as Cause of Death

Actress Shelley Fabares died Aug. 22 at age 82 from acute respiratory distress, according to a death certificate obtained by PEOPLE.

The certificate lists pneumonia as a condition that contributed to her death. Fabares had been diagnosed with pneumonia several weeks before her passing and experienced acute respiratory distress in the days leading up to her death. No autopsy was performed, and she was cremated.

Fabares’ family confirmed her death Aug. 23, describing her as a devoted wife, stepmother, family member and friend who brought warmth, humor and comfort to those around her.

Fabares began acting as a child, appearing as Donna Reed’s daughter on The Donna Reed Show. She later became a popular teen star and appeared alongside Elvis Presley in Girl Happy (1965), Spinout (1966) and Clambake (1967).

Her other notable credits included the television film Brian’s Song, the sitcom One Day at a Time and the long-running comedy Coach. She received two Emmy nominations for her role on Coach.

In 2000, Fabares was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis and underwent a liver transplant.

Following her death, former co-stars and friends paid tribute to her. Coach co-star Craig T. Nelson called her “a foundational part of my life” and remembered her as a welcoming and supportive presence. Paul Petersen, her brother on The Donna Reed Show, called her loss “a loss for all of us.”

Glenn Scarpelli, her One Day at a Time co-star, recalled their lifelong friendship and said their final conversation ended with both telling each other, “I love you.”

Actor Robert Englund also remembered Fabares, describing her as his first teenage show-business crush and praising her career and professionalism.