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Valerie Mahaffey was 71 years old, and had been battling cancer, her publicist told The Hollywood Reporter.
She died on Friday, May 30 in Los Angeles.
Mahaffey was known for playing eccentric characters on Desperate Housewives, Young Sheldon, Northern Exposure, and Big Sky.
In 1992, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance on the CBS series Northern Exposure in 1992.
She also was cast on The West Wing, L.A. Law, Ally McBeal, Judging Amy, Quantum Leap, Frasier, Boston Legal, Without a Trace, Raising Hope, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and the Netflix comedy-drama series Dead to Me.
Mahaffey launched her acting career in 1979 on the soap opera The Doctor. In the late 80s, she appeared on such popular sitcoms as Newhart, Cheers, and Seinfeld.
Joseph Kell, Mahaffey's husband, told Variety that he had "lost the love of my life, and America has lost one of its most endearing actresses."
A graduate of the University of Texas-Austin, Mahaffey is also survived by a daughter.
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