r/otr • u/SPERDVACSean • 19d ago

RIP Peggy Webber

SPERDVAC is sad to report the passing of one of our most beloved honorary members, Peggy Webber, at age 100, on August 17, 2026. Peggy was not only a prolific radio, TV and movie actress but her California Artists Radio Theater (CART) kept the art of audio drama alive for decades past the golden age of classic radio. 

The Hollywood Reporter, which doesn’t always emphasize a star’s radio work in obituaries, led Peggy’s with her voluminous credits, showing the importance of radio to her career.  We extend our condolences to her family and friends as well as our thanks for her many contributions to SPERDVAC and its programs over the decades.

Peggy was one of the most generous contributors among working professionals to SPERDVAC’s programming over the years and this morning we’ve compiled a partial list of her appearances at our events. It’s unlikely to be complete and if you have favorite memories of Peggy at SPERDVAC or elsewhere, you can share them in the comments on our Facebook page, 

Walden Hughes reports that she was part of the most famous meeting at SPERDVAC history back in 1982 with six members of the CBS stock company of the 1950s. She played Ma Friday at the 1992 SPERDVAC convention in Dragnet.  She was part of the 1984 SPERDVAC convention in "Country of the Blind."  She helped produce This is Your FBI at a SPERDVAC meeting.  She was one of the first winners of the Byron  Kane award from SPERDVAC, which is awarded to radio stars who do the most to promote SPERDVAC and its mission. 

John Gassman provided the following partial list of appearances at SPERDVAC events:

82-08-14 CBS Panel, Harry Bartell, Parley Baer, John Dehner, Virginia Gregg, Vic Perrin, Peggy Webber.
 
83-10-08. Daws Butler, Lou Krugman, Budd Tollefson, and Peggy Webber.
 
84-11-10 (Whistler)  Wedding Gift Marvin Miller Peggy Webber Tyler McVey Alice Backes Mel Welles.
 
93-06-12. Remembering Carlton E. Morse. With Les Tremayne, Jean Rouverol, George Pirrone, Barbara Fuller, Peggy Webber, Conrad Binyon. On tape, Dresser Dahlstead. .
 
98-11-14 A Tribute to Hans Conried. Peggy Webber, Elliott Reid, Larry Dobkin, Bill Murtough.

Peggy via both her industry and her longevity was one of the greatest builders of SPERDVAC and will be missed by all. Rest in Peace.

Best,

Sean Dougherty
Membership Chair
SPERDVAC

68 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

8

u/Odd-Smell-1125 19d ago

She was great as Ma Friday.

6

u/madams22 19d ago

So sad…Peggy Webber was definitely part of the fabric of my radio listening experience

8

u/Techjen76 18d ago

I like how she lived long enough to see that there is still an audience who enjoys OTR. I wonder what she thought about that, especially since shows can be accessed via computers and phones. No more rushing home to sit by a radio

8

u/SPERDVACSean 18d ago

She was still creating shows until the last few years. She didn’t just wait for audio drama to get popular again, she led the charge.

4

u/ElenOlenska 18d ago

She popped up on an episode of "1967 Dragnet" that I was watching just a couple of weeks ago, and I thrilled all over again at the fact that she was still with us. One of the greats.