Karen Leigh Baldwin, a Northbrook resident and the real-life daughter of television actor Robert Reed of “The Brady Bunch,” has died.

Baldwin, 69, died Nov. 29, according to her brother John Bergquist of Scottsdale, Arizona. A cause of death was not provided.

Baldwin grew up in Wilmette and was the daughter of Reed and Marilyn Bergquist. The couple later divorced, and Reed went on to a long acting career, gaining huge popular fame for portraying Mike Brady, the father on the popular television series “The Brady Bunch,” which originally aired from 1969 to 1974 and spawned multiple spinoffs and reunion movies.

“They had a long-distance relationship, but they weren’t particularly close,” Bergquist said.

Despite that distance, Baldwin appeared in a Season 2 episode of The Brady Bunch titled “Slumber Party,” playing a friend of the oldest daughter, Marcia. Also appearing in small roles in the episode were the daughters of Florence Henderson, who played wife and mom Carol Brady, and executive producer Sherwood Schwartz.

Barry Williams, who portrayed Greg Brady, said Baldwin was on set for one day during the taping.

“We knew Florence’s kids because they all lived with her in Los Angeles, but this was the first time I met Karen,” Williams said. “It was about the meshing of the TV family and the real-life family.”

Williams added that Reed was enthusiastic about the appearance. “I know Robert was excited to have her there and not just bring her in as a guest, but as a ‘guest star,’” he said.

Williams said he met Baldwin a few other times, including sometime between 2005 and 2010, when she explored the idea of writing a book about her father and how such a project might evolve. He said he does not believe the book was ever completed and did not know why.

Reed died in 1992, but Baldwin maintained a photograph of herself with her father on her Facebook page. “To my knowledge, they were on good terms at the end,” Bergquist said.

Baldwin adored horses and went on to work as a trainer, teaching students in horse jumping. “That was her greatest love,” Bergquist said. She also competed in a national jumper event at Madison Square Garden in New York, according to her online obituary.

Bergquist said Baldwin also worked at a collection agency.

Survivors include her son, William Baldwin; her mother, Marilyn; her former husband Robert Baldwin, and siblings Peter, Mark and John Bergquist and Jane Danowit, according to her online obituary.

Services have been held.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/22/karen-baldwin-daughter-brady-bunch-robert-reed-died/