Edna Skinner

Edna Skinner (May 23, 1921 – August 8, 2003) was an American actress whose career spanned stage, film, and television. Born in Washington, D.C., she grew up in Fulton, New York, where she began her performing career appearing in local theatre productions.

Skinner made her Broadway debut in 1943, appearing in the original production of Oklahoma!. Her stage work preceded a transition into screen acting, through which she built a career in both film and television.

Among her most recognized television roles was that of Kay Addison, the neighbor of Wilbur Post, on the series Mister Ed. Her departure from the show followed the death of her onscreen husband, played by Larry Keating. As recounted by Alan Young in his Archive of American Television interview, the show's writers initially attempted to write Skinner's character as a widow, but ultimately chose to introduce an entirely new married couple — Gordon and Winnie Kirkwood, portrayed by Leon Ames and Florence MacMichael — resulting in Skinner leaving the series.

Skinner retired from acting in 1964. In the years that followed, she became a recognized authority on fly fishing. She died of heart failure on August 8, 2003, at her home in North Bend, Oregon, at the age of 82.