Summer Fun: Remembering Gilligan’s Island

In Her Final Years…

Schafer was actually a millionaire in real life, after making some real estate investments that turned out to be quite profitable in the long run. She lived until the grand old age of 90, passing away due to liver cancer. In her later years, she lived with co-star Dawn Wells, who actually maintained excellent relationships with her fellow cast members. Wells was Schafer’s caretaker while she was battling her ailments and when Schafer passed away, she reportedly left a good sum of her fortunes to Wells.