Stage, screen actress Hymes dies

Thursday, Feb. 25, 1999 | 11:57 a.m.

Comedic actress Deeda Hymes, who performed as a zany in the "Bottoms Up" revue for seven years in Las Vegas and appeared on stage, screen and television, has died at her Las Vegas home. Her age was not released.

Hymes, who appeared on television in episodes of "Hill Street Blues" and "Starsky and Hutch," in the movies "Going in Style" and "Harry and Tonto" and in more than two dozen off-Broadway plays, died Monday of emphysema, which she had battled for five years, her family said.

Visitation for Hymes, who lived in Las Vegas 30 years, will be 4-7:30 p.m. Friday at Palm Mortuary-Eastern. Services will be private.

"While she enjoyed work in film and television, live performances are where Deeda truly shined," said her husband of 17 years, John Neeland, publicity manager for the Riviera hotel-casino.

In Breck Wall's "Bottoms Up" at Caesars Palace, Hymes appeared with Wall, Suzanne Buhrer, Bob Barron, David Harris and the late Jan Sutton. After its Las Vegas run, the show was taken on the road to Reno, Lake Tahoe, Dallas, Houston, Manhattan, Omaha, Vancouver and Sydney, Australia.

Hymes also appeared on numerous other Las Vegas stages, including performances at the now-defunct Meadows Playhouse.

Born Dorothy Ann Peterson in Jamestown, N.Y., her father was Donald Peterson and her mother was the former Anna Himes. Hymes graduated from State University of New York in Fredonia and for a while taught school in New York City.

She pursued a career in comedy in New York, where she appeared on stage with Buster Keaton, Gisele MacKenzie, Nat King Cole, Van Johnson and Gale Storm.

Her many off-Broadway stage performances included the roles of Ethel Toffelmeier in "The Music Man," Sister Berthe in "Sound of Music," Bloody Mary in "South Pacific" and Juliet's nurse in "Romeo and Juliet."

Other television appearances included an episode of "Vegas" and commercials for Arrid deodorant and Holsum bread.

She was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association. She also was a member of Mensa, an organization of people with high IQs.

Hymes sold real estate for the Americana Group and won that company's "Million Dollar Club" award.

In addition to her husband, Hymes is survived by an aunt and uncle, Wade and Mary Himes of Ridgeway, Pa., cousins Floyd and Marian Himes of Fort Mead, Fla., and several nieces and nephews.

Donations: in Hymes' memory to the Family Home Hospice, Las Vegas chapter of the American Lung Association or the Animal Foundation of Las Vegas.