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Suzanne Crough

Suzanne Crough (March 6, 1963 – April 27, 2015) was an American actress best known for portraying Tracy Partridge, the youngest daughter and tambourine player in the family band, on the sitcom from 1970 to 1974. Born in , to parents Joseph Wilfred Crough and Anne O'Malley Crough, she began her career as a child appearing in commercials before landing the role that defined her fame at age seven, appearing in all 96 episodes of the series. Crough's other notable roles included voicing Tracy Partridge in the animated series (1973), a part in the live-action series as Stevie Freedman (1977), and her final screen appearance in the TV movie Children of Divorce (1980). She also starred in the Academy Award-winning Teenage Father (1978). After retiring from in her late teens, Crough graduated from and pursued other ventures, including owning and operating the Book Center bookstore in , until 1993, followed by a position as an office manager at an store. In July 1985, Crough married William D. Condray, with whom she had two daughters, and , and at the time of her death, one granddaughter. She occasionally attended reunions and lived in before moving to . Crough died at her home in Laughlin at age 52 from arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, a rare , as determined by the County coroner; her death was ruled non-suspicious.

Early Life and Family

Birth and Childhood

Suzanne Crough was born on March 6, 1963, in . She grew up in the same city as the youngest of eight siblings in a large family. Her early years were marked by a close-knit household that provided a supportive environment for her budding interests. As a young child, around age five, Crough's fascination with began during a visit to the set of , where her oldest brother had a small role as one of Opie Taylor's friends. This experience, facilitated by her family, ignited her passion for performance and prompted them to encourage her initial forays into the industry, leading to appearances in commercials starting around age five. Growing up in Fullerton offered her a stable suburban backdrop, where family outings like the set visit played a key role in shaping her early aspirations before she entered professional .

Immediate Family

Suzanne Crough was born to Joseph Wilfred Crough and Anne O'Malley Crough in . Her father's occupation is not detailed in available records, while her mother managed the household for their large family. As the youngest of eight children, Crough had seven older siblings: Lynda, Trudy, Kathleen, Loyleen, Gail, Timothy, and Patrick. Her oldest brother appeared in a minor role on , which occasionally brought family visits to film sets. The Crough family maintained an Irish Catholic heritage, reflected in their mother's O'Malley surname and participation in Catholic church services. This background contributed to their large family size, common among Irish Catholic households of the era. The family remained stable in throughout Crough's upbringing, with no recorded relocations.

Acting Career

Breakthrough Role

Suzanne Crough was cast at the age of seven as Tracy Partridge, the youngest sibling and player in the family band, on the sitcom , following her appearance in a Barbie commercial and after undergoing three callbacks and four interviews. In the role, Crough portrayed the innocent and energetic youngest daughter of the widowed matriarch Shirley Partridge, contributing to the show's depiction of a harmonious family pursuing musical success amid everyday challenges. The series aired from September 1970 to March 1974, spanning four seasons and 96 episodes, during which Crough appeared in all installments as the pint-sized percussionist whose wide-eyed enthusiasm often highlighted the family's comedic and heartfelt dynamics. On set, Crough worked closely with co-stars including , who played her on-screen mother, and , who portrayed her older brother , fostering a familial atmosphere that mirrored the show's premise despite the demands of long shooting schedules for young performers. The Partridge Family emerged as a cultural phenomenon of the , blending humor with bubblegum that topped charts and inspired merchandise, fan clubs, and a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist in 1971. This breakthrough role established Crough as a prominent child star, propelling her to immediate fame and defining her public image as the adorable for generations of viewers.

Additional Roles

Following her breakthrough on The Partridge Family, Crough's fame opened doors to a handful of additional acting opportunities, primarily in family-oriented television and films during her pre-teen and early teen years. In 1976, she appeared in the NBC TV movie Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway, portraying a minor role as another runaway alongside lead actress Eve Plumb in a story addressing youth homelessness and urban dangers. The following year, she took on a more prominent part as Stevie Freedman in the short-lived NBC drama series Mulligan's Stew, playing one of the blended family children in a series that explored themes of family dynamics and social issues over seven episodes. Crough continued with guest spots and supporting roles that showcased her versatility in lighter and dramatic fare. She had a brief appearance in the 1978 episode "My Teenage Idol Is Missing" of , contributing to the superhero series' family-friendly adventures, and a small uncredited part as a little girl in a red checked dress on that same year. In 1978, she starred as the pregnant teenager in the Academy Award-winning short film Teenage Father, a poignant drama about teen pregnancy that earned director John Hawkes an for Best Live Action . Her on-screen career tapered off quickly after these projects, with her final role coming in the 1980 ABC TV movie Children of Divorce, where she played Kate, a child navigating her parents' separation in a story highlighting the emotional toll on kids. Overall, from 1970 to 1980, Crough amassed around 10 acting credits beyond The Partridge Family, reflecting the short-lived nature of her child and teen acting phase amid a shift toward and other pursuits.

Post-Acting Life

Education

After the end of The Partridge Family in 1974, Suzanne Crough shifted her focus to formal education as part of her transition away from child stardom. She enrolled at , a in Woodland Hills, , attending in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Crough graduated from the institution, earning an that supported her pursuit of a conventional life beyond . This accomplishment marked a key milestone in her post-acting independence, enabling her to build skills for future personal and professional stability. In interviews years later, Crough highlighted her motivation for such steps as a desire for normalcy after the intensity of early fame, stating she was content with a "normal job" and family responsibilities. While balancing studies with emerging adult life presented typical challenges for a young woman in her late teens and early twenties, her completion of the program underscored her determination to forge an independent path.

Business and Community Involvement

Following her departure from acting, Crough pursued at , where she developed skills that supported her transition into entrepreneurship. From 1980 to 1993, she owned and operated The Book Center, an independent bookstore in , which served as a local hub for and gatherings. This venture reflected her commitment to fostering connections through small-scale retail, drawing on her post-college business acumen to manage daily operations and . In the late , Crough shifted to , serving as a manager at a store in . By the early 2000s, she had relocated to , where she continued in roles, including as an office manager at an store in nearby . These positions allowed her to contribute to local economic activities while maintaining a low-profile life focused on practical business contributions rather than public fame. Reflecting on her post-acting path in a 1993 interview, Crough emphasized the viability of normalcy beyond , stating, "There is life after ." Her entrepreneurial and managerial efforts underscored a dedication to community-oriented enterprises, prioritizing stability and local impact over her earlier celebrity.

Personal Life and Death

Marriage and Children

Suzanne Crough married William Condray in July 1985. The couple enjoyed a long-term partnership marked by shared family responsibilities. Crough and Condray had two daughters: Samantha, born around 1988, and Alexandra, born around 1992. The family initially resided in California, where they raised their children in a stable environment focused on everyday life rather than Crough's earlier acting career. In a 1993 interview, Crough described her first-born daughter Samantha as resembling her own childhood appearance, highlighting the personal joys of motherhood. Later, the family relocated to Laughlin, Nevada, continuing their emphasis on close-knit domestic life. At the time of her death, Crough had one granddaughter, Evelena. Crough prioritized her role as a mother, choosing to step away from the spotlight to focus on family after her acting days. She raised her daughters with an awareness of her past on , integrating it into their family narrative without overshadowing their normal upbringing.

Death and Legacy

On April 27, 2015, Suzanne Crough was discovered deceased in her home in , by family members; she was 52 years old. An conducted by the Clark County Coroner's Office determined that her death resulted from arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), a rare that affects the heart's muscle and electrical system, leading to sudden ; there was no evidence of foul play or suspicious circumstances. Co-stars from offered public tributes, with , who portrayed her on-screen mother, posting on social media, "God take care of my baby," referencing the show's hit song, while described her as "the sweetest, nicest kid" and noted the family's devastation. She was the first of the show's child actors to pass away. Crough's legacy endures through her iconic portrayal of Tracy Partridge, the freckle-faced tambourine player who embodied the wholesome charm of 1970s child stardom on television. Her character became a cultural touchstone for family-oriented sitcoms, influencing generations of viewers with its depiction of youthful innocence amid musical adventures. Over the years, Crough participated in occasional Partridge Family reunions and interviews, including a 2010 gathering where she reflected on the joys and challenges of early fame, highlighting her transition to a private life focused on family and community. Her story has contributed to broader discussions on the post-stardom experiences of child actors, illustrating paths toward normalcy away from the spotlight. As of 2025, her family legacy continues with the birth of a second granddaughter, Arabella Savanna, on April 27, 2025, to daughter Alexandra.

Filmography

Television Roles

Suzanne Crough's television appearances were concentrated in the 1970s, where she portrayed characters in both live-action and animated series, often reprising variations of her breakthrough role as the youngest member. Her debut major role was as Tracy Partridge, the tambourine-playing youngest daughter in the family band, on the sitcom , which aired from 1970 to 1974 across four seasons and 96 episodes. In 1973, she provided the voice for Tracy Partridge as a recurring guest character in eight episodes of the animated series , where the Partridge siblings assisted the ghost-hunting team. Crough continued voicing the character in the animated spin-off Partridge Family 2200 A.D., appearing as Tracy Partridge in all 16 episodes of the 1974–1975 CBS series, which depicted the family as space travelers in a futuristic setting. She voiced Tracy Partridge in the segment "The Partridge Family in Outer Space" on Fred Flintstone and Friends in 1977. She made a brief live-action guest appearance as Girl #2 in the 1978 episode "My Teenage Idol Is Missing" of The New Adventures of Wonder Woman on CBS. Her final series role was as Stevie Freedman, a teenage stepdaughter in a blended family, on the NBC comedy-drama Mulligan's Stew, which ran for seven episodes in 1977. Crough also appeared in the TV movie Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway (1976) as Runaway. Her final screen appearance was as Kate in the TV movie Children of Divorce (1980). In total, Crough accumulated credits in six television series during the decade, along with the two TV movies noted above.

Film Roles

Suzanne Crough's feature film credits were limited, with her acting primarily confined to television during her career. Her sole credited appearance in a theatrical short film was in Teenage Father (1978), an educational drama where she played the lead role of a 15-year-old pregnant girl facing the challenges of early motherhood. No other feature-length films are documented in her filmography.

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