Yvonne Lime Fedderson, a 1950s film and television actor who later co-founded the child-advocacy nonprofit Childhelp, died Jan. 23 at her home in Paradise Valley, Arizona. She was 90, and Childhelp said she “passed away peacefully.”
Born Yvonne Glee Lime in Glendale, California, on April 7, 1935, she trained at the Pasadena Playhouse and began working steadily in mid-century Hollywood under the name Yvonne Lime. Her screen credits included the 1956 film “The Rainmaker,” a small role connected to Elvis Presley’s “Loving You,” and a starring part opposite Michael Landon in 1957’s “I Was a Teenage Werewolf,” where she played his character’s girlfriend, Arlene. She later earned top billing in teen-targeted features such as “Dragstrip Riot” and “High School Hellcats,” while also appearing on popular television series of the era.
Her public identity shifted sharply after a USO trip to Japan with fellow actor Sara O’Meara helped spark a long-running commitment to child welfare. In 1959, the two women founded International Orphans, Inc., which later became Childhelp, first organized to aid children in post-typhoon Japan before expanding into U.S.-based child abuse prevention and treatment work. Childhelp said it has helped more than 14 million children and families through programs that include a national hotline and the Speak Up Be Safe prevention curriculum. O’Meara, Childhelp’s CEO, called Fedderson “my dearest friend” and said her “compassion, strength, and belief in the power of love shaped Childhelp from its earliest days.”
Fedderson stepped away from acting after marrying producer Don Fedderson in 1969, then later ran Don Fedderson Productions for decades, overseeing rights tied to classic TV properties such as “My Three Sons” and “Family Affair,” according to Childhelp’s announcement.
