Pat Crawford Brown

Pat Crawford Brown was an American actress who began her screen career after retiring from teaching. Born in New York City, she taught English at Carson High School before making her television debut in the 1985 movie Do You Remember Love. Guest spots followed on series including The Twilight Zone, Who's the Boss?, Mama's Family, Designing Women, Murder, She Wrote and Murphy Brown, and between 1989 and 1997 she appeared regularly as Mrs. Alma Thorkelson in the ABC sitcom Coach. Her film work included Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, The Rocketeer, Sister Act (1992), Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), Reality Bites, Forces of Nature and Playing Mona Lisa (2000). She was best known for playing Ida Greenberg on Desperate Housewives from 2004 to 2007, and also had recurring parts on General Hospital, Days of Our Lives and Gilmore Girls.