Who did Helen Slayton-Hughes play in Parks and Recreation? Beloved character explored amid death at 92

Parks and Recreation star Helen Slayton-Hughes recently passed away on December 7 at the age of 92. Helen was known for her performances in films like Hesher and Veronica Mars and TV shows like Desperate Housewives and Pretty Little Liars.

Her family disclosed the news on social media and posted a video featuring a few selected roles that she has portrayed all these years. They stated that she will live on forever and concluded by writing:

“Her pain has ended but her fierce spirit lives on. Thank you for the love and support of her and her work. Rest sweet one.”

Helen’s cause of death has not been revealed yet, and there are no plans yet for a funeral.

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Helen Slayton-Hughes appeared as Ethel Beavers in Parks and Recreation

Helen Slayton-Hughes has played a variety of roles in films and television over the years. However, she is best known for her performance as Ethel Beavers in the NBC sitcom, Parks and Recreation.

Ethel is a court stenographer employed at The Fourth Floor. Although the character only appeared in ten episodes of the show, there were a few moments where Helen took the limelight.

In the third season, Ethel took Tom and Andy on a tour of The Fourth Floor, where they worked to make the city's archives digitally accessible. Tom is an expert at impressing ladies, but Ethel does not respond to his flirting. In another episode of Season 4, she appeared as the court stenographer in Leslie’s ethics committee hearing.

In Season 5, April and Andy were searching for someone from the City Clerk’s Office to get a signature for a marriage license. They eventually go to Ethel’s residence, where she is spotted with an old man, and when the duo asks Ethel to be their grandmother, she halfheartedly agrees.

Parks and Recreation aired for seven seasons with a total of 126 episodes. The series received a positive response from critics and audiences.

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Helen Slayton-Hughes was a popular name in the entertainment industry

Born on October 30, 1930, Helen Slayton-Hughes pursued her graduation in Drama at Syracuse University and joined Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

She started her career on stage, where she played various roles for 40 years. Helen was praised for her performance as Gertrude Jorgensen in the CBS police procedural series Nash Bridges. She was also popular as a writer and worked with composer Dana Lewis Howell on an opera titled Rachel, the Innkeeper’s Daughter, in December 2015.

Helen became famous for her appearances in various films during the 1980s. She frequently appeared in films and TV shows of the comedy genre.

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Her filmography includes several titles like Shoot the Moon, Crazy on the Outside, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, The Curse of Bridge Hollow, and more. She even appeared in TV shows like The Drew Carey Show, NYPD Blue, Four Kings, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Night Shift, and more.

Helen Slayton-Hughes is survived by her husband, whose identity remains unknown, along with four children and six grandchildren.