Peggy Webber, an actress and writer whose career spanned thousands of radio broadcasts, feature films, and early television productions, died on August 15, 2026, at an independent living facility in Napa, California. She was 100 years old.
Born Margaret Webber on September 15, 1925, in Laredo, Texas, she began performing in theaters during intermissions as a young child before making her radio debut at age 11 in San Antonio. After moving to Los Angeles in 1942 following high school graduation, she established a prolific career in Golden Age radio, providing character voices across thousands of programs. Among her radio credits were The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Escape, The Story of Dr. Kildare, The Man Called X, and the role of Ma Friday on Jack Webb’s long-running police procedural Dragnet.
Webber’s vocal versatility translated into notable screen roles under prominent filmmakers. In 1948, Orson Welles cast her as Lady Macduff in his film adaptation of Macbeth, a production on which she also provided uncredited voice dubbing for multiple characters. In 1956, she appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s docudrama The Wrong Man as Miss Dennerly, the insurance clerk who mistakenly identifies Henry Fonda’s protagonist as an armed robber. Two years later, Webber headlined the 1958 cult horror feature The Screaming Skull.
In television, Webber created and produced Treasures of Literature for Los Angeles station KFI-TV, earning a nomination at the inaugural 1949 Emmy Awards. Her on-screen television appearances included guest roles on Dragnet, M Squad, Gunsmoke, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Cheyenne, Adam-12, and Emergency! In 1984, Webber founded the California Artists Radio Theatre, directing and producing classical audio drama revivals featuring actors such as Ed Asner, William Shatner, Michael York, and Roddy McDowall.
Webber is survived by her son, winemaker Rob Sinskey, her daughters Patricia and Teresa, seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
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