Gospel actress and singer Della Rees, who starred for years in the TV series "Touched By An Angel", passed away at the age of 86 at her home in California, became known by her family.
The actress "died peacefully (on Sunday) at her home in California surrounded by her loved ones," her husband Franklin Lett and her family said in a press release.
The announcement of her death was posted on behalf of the family on the Instagram account of co-star Roma Downey. "Through her life and work, she has touched and inspired the lives of millions of people," the statement said.
The exact cause of death of Reese, who was diagnosed with diabetes 17 years ago, is unknown at this time.
Reese was born in Detroit, taught gospel and gained publicity in the late 1950s and early 1960s by performing hits of pop and jazz music. In 1969 she presented her own talk show entitled "Della" —the first presented by an African-American woman.
He then starred in TV series such as "It Takes Two" and "Crazy Like a Fox". However, the most important role she played was that of Tess, a sarcastic angel, in the CBS TV series "Touched By An Angel", which aired for nine years, until 2003.