Rest in Peace, Major Hot Lips – Loretta Swit (1937–2025)

jacnl2000 · May 31

While packaging up my old DVDs—MASH* among them—I heard of the passing of Loretta Swit, our beloved Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan. She died yesterday at the age of 87.

Her portrayal of Hot Lips was unforgettable. What started as a caricature in early episodes grew into a sharp, compassionate, and complex woman—one of the few holding the line in a camp full of chaos. Swit didn’t just play the part; she became the soul of that show for many of us.

Here’s a photo of her at 17—full of promise, long before most of us knew her name.
Rest in peace, Major Hot Lips. The tent is quieter without you.