Dayle Haddon, an actor, activist, and trailblazing former Sports Illustrated model who fought against age discrimination by reentering the industry as a widow, has died in a Pennsylvania home from what authorities believe was carbon monoxide poisoning.
Authorities in Bucks County found Haddon, 76, deceased in a second-floor bedroom Friday morning after emergency dispatchers were alerted about an unconscious person at the Solebury Township home. A 76-year-old man, later identified as Walter J. Blucas of Erie, was hospitalized in critical condition.
Responders detected high levels of carbon monoxide in the property. Township police stated Saturday that investigators determined "a faulty flue and exhaust pipe on a gas heating system caused the carbon monoxide leak."
Two medics were hospitalized for carbon monoxide exposure, and a police officer was treated at the scene.
Dayle Haddon, the pioneering model and activist, embraced aging gracefully, saying, "I kept modeling, but in a different way. I became a spokesperson for my age," in a 2008 interview with The Times. That same year, she founded WomenOne, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for girls and women in marginalized regions such as Rwanda, Haiti, and Jordan.
Born in Toronto, Haddon began modeling as a teenager to support her passion for ballet, eventually joining the prestigious Canadian ballet company Les Grands Ballet Canadiens.
Her daughter, Ryan, paid tribute on social media, calling her mother "everyone's greatest champion" and "an inspiration to many." She added, "A pure heart. A rich inner life. Touching so many lives. A life well lived. Rest in Light, Mom."
