Daniel Spencer, Former Child Star, Passes Away at 60

Daniel Spencer, famously known for her role as Dee Thomas on the ABC sitcom what’s happening!!, has died at the age of 60.

The announcement of her passing came from her co-star, Haywood Nelson, who described her as “a brilliant, loving, positive, practical warrior.”

According to Nelson’s statement, Spencer reportedly lost her life after a long struggle with cancer at a hospital located in Richmond, Virginia.

“We have lost our daughters, sisters, family, cast members from ‘What’s going on’, along with animal rights advocates, healers, and courageous figures in the fight against cancer. Our Shero, Danielle, is cherished and will be remembered forever,” he said.

On the groundbreaking sitcom, Spencer and Nelson portrayed characters navigating life in the inner city, with Spencer playing the witty younger sister to Roger “Large” Thomas, who was known for his iconic catchphrases.

The show, initially based on Cooley High, originally aired from 1976 to 1979, with a later continuation from 1985 to 1988.

During her time on the series, Spencer and her stepfather, Tim Pelt, were involved in a tragic five-car accident in Malibu that resulted in Pelt’s death and left Spencer in a coma for three weeks. She later reflected on this in her 2011 memoir, Stell the Fire… Journal of A Child Star, sharing her grief over not getting to say goodbye to her stepfather, who had a significant impact on her early business acumen in New York.

In 2014, Spencer was diagnosed with breast cancer, leading to a double mastectomy. She also faced a health crisis in 2018, undergoing emergency brain surgery due to a cerebral hemorrhage.

Her role in what’s happening!! marked the start of her acting career, with subsequent appearances on shows like Brady Bunch Variety Hour and NBC Special Treat. Her acting career came to a close in 2001 with The Days of Our Lives.

Apart from acting, Spencer pursued academic qualifications at UC Davis and UCLA, ultimately receiving her PhD in Veterinary Medicine from Tuskegee University in 1993.

In 2014, she made history by becoming the first child actor appointed to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.