Della Reese, the pop and jazz singing powerhouse who later starred as an angel sent by heaven on the television series “Touched By an Angel,” died Sunday evening at age 86.
“She was an incredible wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and pastor, as well as an award-winning actress and singer. Through her life and work she touched and inspired the lives of millions of people,” Reese’s one-time co-star Roma Downey wrote in a statement. “She was a mother to me and I had the privilege of working with her side by side for so many years on ‘Touched By An Angel.’