Star Trek Bombshell Karen Steele’s Tragic Death at 56

Karen Steele is best remembered for playing Virginia in the 1955 classic Marty and Mrs. Lane in the 1959 western Ride Lonesome. She also made a memorable impact on television as the flirtatious and quick-witted Eve McHuron in a 1966 episode of Star Trek.

Before stepping into acting, Steele briefly studied at the University of Hawaii and Rollins College, then launched her career as a model. Her first acting break came with the radio drama Let George Do It.

Throughout her career, she made guest appearances on popular shows like Maverick, The Alaskans, Perry Mason, and Flipper, among many others.

Personal life

Later in life, she settled in Golden Valley, Arizona, where she married Dr. Maurice Boyd Ruland, a psychiatrist at the Mohave Mental Health Clinic. The couple remained together until her death, though they never had children.

How did Karen Steele die?

The actress died of cancer on March 12, 1988, at age 56, at Kingman Regional Medical Center in Kingman, Arizona. At that time, her net worth was estimated at around $1 million — a substantial sum for the era.