Beloved ‘50s actress and dedicated philanthropist Yvonne Lime has passed away at the age of 90, TMZ reports.
Lime died “peacefully” on Friday, Jan. 23, according to Childhelp, the national nonprofit she co-founded in 1959. The foundation’s website states that with Lime’s unwavering leadership, it has helped transform the lives of more than 14 million abused, neglected and at-risk children.
Yvonne Lime’s Legacy in Film
Lime began her acting career in the 1956 film “The Rainmaker” alongside Katharine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster, according to her IMDb. One of her most memorable roles was in the 1957 movie “I Was a Teenage Werewolf,” starring as actor Michael Landon’s girlfriend. Her claim to fame, though, would be her role in the 1957 film “Loving You” alongside Elvis Presley.
Although she dated Presley during the same year their movie was released, with the famed King of Rock and Roll even inviting her to Graceland for Easter, Lime went on to marry TV producer Don Fedderson in 1969, TMZ reports. Lime and Fedderson welcomed one daughter together named Dionne.
While in Graceland, Lime kept a diary, documenting her whirlwind romance with the heartthrob artist. In one of her entries, she wrote about what Presley’s fans didn’t get to see when he turned off his charming stage presence.
“They think of him as a big-shot, as the great Presley, not as the warm, sweet boy who has told me he cares for me. But I’ve got butterflies in my stomach now. Only a few more hours and we’ll be together,” she wrote while on her way to Memphis, Woman’s World reports. Lime’s diary entries were even published in the August 1957 edition of Modern Screen magazine.
Yvonne Lime’s Childhelp Foundation
GettyLime shared a statement for her Childhelp biography, writing that although she rose to fame in the film industry, her true passion was in helping those who were unable to defend themselves.
“After graduating from the Pasadena Playhouse, I enjoyed acting for film, television and stage, but my greatest role has been dedicating my life to helping needy children for over five decades,” she wrote. “Extensive work in a number of humanitarian organizations gave me a framework for volunteer engagement and management that I find invaluable to this day.”
Childhelp Continues to Help Millions of Children
Childhelp’s profound influence started from Lime and actress Sara O’Meara’s vision of a world where every child has not only a safe haven but one that truly feels like home. In 1982, Childhelp established the first national, toll-free hotline for child abuse support, available 24/7. The hotline is still reachable to this day.
Its impact has supported children across 240 different languages and continues to match deserving youth with respected families by way of adoption. Childhelp also has a psychiatric residential treatment facility for abused children in Virginia, where advocates help heal their psychiatric and behavioral disorders inflicted by suffering.
While Lime is no longer with us, her life-changing influence in child advocacy and care will live on forever.
