Marsha Hunt lived a remarkable and rich life, spanning 104 wonderful years. She was an actress, model, and activist with a career spanning nearly 80 years.

Even though her film work was extensive, she was a true believer in humanitarian causes – world hunger, homeless shelters, climate change, and peace in Third-World countries.

Few performers had a more auspicious beginning. After a brief modeling career in Manhattan, Ms. Hunt headed to Hollywood at 17 at the suggestion of an admiring photographer who intuited her future in film, and orchestrated a ruse to pique the interest of movie studios.

A photo of her was sent to every paper in Los Angeles with text about how the radiant cover girl was turning down many studio offers. Of movies, she was quoted: “No pictures for me.”

The intrigue worked, landing her a contract at Paramount studios and the romantic lead in her first film, “The Virginia Judge” (1935), opposite Robert Cummings. With her heart-shaped face and wholesome allure, Ms. Hunt was cast in more than a dozen films in her first two years on-screen — some opposite John Wayne and Buster Crabbe. She starred in 54 films in the first sixteen years of her film career.

Marsha Hunt, always cheerful, optimistic, and passionate about helping others will always be In Heaven with the Stars.