She acted on Broadway and appeared in television shows including “Young Sheldon,” “Desperate Housewives” and Netflix’s “Dead to Me.”

Valerie Mahaffey, the Emmy-winning actress known for memorable roles on shows such as ‘Northern Exposure’ and ‘Desperate Housewives,’ has died at 71.

Valerie Mahaffey's stage, film and television work included the soap opera “The Doctors” more than 45 years ago and encompassed roles in the TV series “Young Sheldon" and “Desperate Housewives.”