Loretta Swit’s Legacy and Passing
Loretta Swit, best known for playing Maj. Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the TV series MASH*, passed away at 87 in her New York City home on May 30, 2025. Her death was reportedly from natural causes, confirmed by her publicist, Harlan Boll. Fans and co-stars quickly paid tribute to her groundbreaking work and lasting impact.
Swit redefined her character over eleven seasons (1972–1983), transforming “Hot Lips” from a joke into a complex, ambitious woman. Alan Alda praised her for this, saying she “worked hard to turn the character from a one-note joke into a genuine person with ambition and depth.”