Denise DuBarry Hay, a renaissance woman who worked to build a film industry in the Coachella Valley, died at UCLA Medical Center Saturday afternoon after battling a deadly fungus, her husband, Bill Hay, reported. She had just turned 63.

DuBarry Hay, who began her career as an actress in such TV series as "Black Sheep Squadron" and "CHiPs," and the Oscar-winning film, "Being There," made a greater mark in business, co-founding one of the leading global direct response companies, Thane International, with her third husband, Bill Hay, in their adopted hometown of La Quinta.

In 1998, she was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2000 Response Magazine included her in its list of the "21 People Leading Us Into the 21st Century."

DuBarry Hay was also a philanthropist especially involved in the Olive Crest nonprofit for abused and at-risk children.

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Film producer Kim Waltrip, who recruited her to the Olive Crest board, said she had been aware of DuBarry Hay's health concerns for the past two months, but it didn't temper the shock of when she received the news via text message.

"I fell through the floor," Waltrip said. "How is this possible?

"For me, she was like a very classy businesswoman. She was ahead of her time in terms of women supporting women. She always supported women. She was an entrepreneur and she was kind to everyone. She was super-ambitious and always supportive of everything everybody did. I got her involved in Olive Crest and she donated money for those houses (for the children). When Denise gets involved, she goes all-in and she hosted fundraisers at her house. She just made sure Olive Crest had everything it needed."

DuBarry Hay was a founder and president of the Palm Springs Women in Film and Television, and helped to distinguish the Coachella Valley as a separate film market from the Inland Empire for location talent scouts and producers shooting movies. She executive produced and acted in a recent movie screened at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, "Walk to Vegas," produced by Waltrip.

Waltrip is one of many people in the film and philanthropy sectors who considered DuBarry Hay a mentor. Waltrip worked with her on another film, "Do It Or Die," that was also shown during PSIFF.

Veteran director Jorn Winther, who directed and executive produced "Do It Or Die," was returning from a meeting with DuBarry Hay when he was killed in a car collision in Palm Desert in November. DuBarry Hay had produced "Do It Or Die."

Fellow philanthropist and marketing executive Harold Matzner said he mostly associated with DuBarry Hay through their mutual film interests. He credited her with bringing Palm Springs Women in Film and Television "to life" during her term as president.

"I remember her for her unbridled enthusiasm about getting a local creative project out there regardless of who was involved in making it," Matzner said. "When I talked to her originally she was concerned that Women in Film was thought of as just a Los Angeles women’s organization and she worked it hard to differentiate Palm Springs in a really different way. She made a huge difference. She made a huge difference in everything she touched.

"She did a terrific job with that direct marketing business. I was just discussing her going onto the film (festival) board. We never got together because she got sick."

Bill and Denise Hay founded Thane International in 1990 after Denise produced an infomercial in 1987 for a video titled, "Play the Piano Overnight." She was still married to actor Gary Lockwood of the time, but she was credited with raising the production and marketing funds and helping the video sell hundreds of thousands of copies.

"Play the Piano Overnight" became the basis for an "Overnight Music" series for Thane. Bill handled the business end and Denise concentrated on creative endeavors, many of which were based on her personal interests, such as fitness.

After selling Thane International, the Hays started Kaswit, Inc., an incubator for home and health products, including the book "Don Sullivan's Secrets to Training the Perfect Dog" and training accessories.

They owned a vacation rental company, Hanalei Honu Hale, near their summer home in Hawaii, and DuBarry Hay had recently opened her second yoga studio, Vikram Yoga Plus, in Palm Springs. She also owned an organic restaurant, Wildest Greens, in Palm Desert and her son, Adam Hay, ran an organic turmeric farm, Secret Beach Organics, in Hawaii.

Her friend of more than 30 years, former Congresswoman Mary Bono, said she met DuBarry Hay at a celebrity tennis tournament in Hawaii around the time she married the late tennis-playing music and TV star, Sonny Bono. She said she became instant friends with DuBarry Hay and her husband recorded a "blurb" for the "Play the Piano Overnight" infomercial.

They became closer after the Hays moved to the Coachella Valley and launched Thane International. Mary Bono said she admired DuBarry Hay's business and creative mind.

"She always had just a huge heart and soul, but she also had a really keen business sense," Bono said. "She was just brilliant and she could see future business ideas long before anybody else could. She just had the ability to create things. She's one of the kindest people at all times — under duress — and always had a positive and encouraging word for everybody at any time."

Besides her husband and son, Adam, DuBarry Hay is survived by her parents Pete DuBarry and Betty DuBarry Stein and her other children, actress Samantha Lockwood , Kyle Hay, and Whitney Hay, a USC student. She has three sisters, Audrey Walter, Diana DuBarry and Suzanne DuBarry, and two grandchildren.

Bill Hay said a private celebration of life will be held in April.