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How did Rebecca Balding die? Former 'Charmed' actress's husband James Conway broke the tragic news

Besides Conway, Balding is survived by her daughters, Sarah and Kathleen, and her grandchildren

Rebecca Balding, the veteran stage and screen actress best known for her roles in the classic ABC sitcom “Soap” and the original “Charmed,” died on Monday, July 18, following her battle with ovarian cancer. Balding died in Park City, Utah, according to a statement from her husband, writer-director James L. Conway. She was 73.

The veteran stage and screen actress' husband Conway confirmed to EW that Balding died on July 18 in Park City, Utah. Her cousin Caroline Williams paid a heartwarming tribute to the late actress on Twitter. "My cousin, Rebecca Balding, has passed away in Salt Lake City. While we were not close in adulthood, she was a profound influence on my curiosity about show business and acting. #TheBoogens was where she met her delightful husband @jameslconway, Mother, wife, and actress. Did it all," Williams wrote.

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Balding was born in Little Rock, Ark, and studied acting at the University of Kansas. Before moving to Hollywood, she lived in Chicago where she began her career as a stage actress. Balding guest starred in dozens of television series for nearly 30 years. One of her most memorable roles was playing Carol David in the ABC series “Soap.” Carol — who appeared in 19 episodes from 1978 to 1980 — is an attorney who seduces gay TV commercial director Jodie Dallas (Billy Crystal) and ultimately winds up pregnant.

Balding also played Corky Crandall in the late '70s ABC sitcom "Making' It" and Elise Rothman, the boss of Alyssa Milano, in the drama series "Charmed," which aired from 1998 to 2006. "Melrose Place", "Beverly Hills 90210", "Home Improvement", "Designing Women", "7th Heaven", "MacGyver", "Family Ties", "Hotel"", Matt Houston Cagney" & "Lacey", "Starsky and Hutch", "The Bionic Woman", and "Lou Grant" are just a few of the other TV shows she has appeared in. In "The Gathering" and its sequel in 1977, she played Ed Asner's daughter Julie.

Noted as an early scream queen, Balding starred in the horror films “The Silent Scream” as Scotty Parker and “The Boogens” as Trish Michaels. In a statement to PEOPLE Conway recalled his story of how he met his wife Balding more than four decades ago. "I was casting the film, The Boogens. Rebecca came in to audition," he says. "We chatted, she read and when she left, I turned to the associate producer and said, 'I could marry that girl.'"

"Somehow she got cast. The first week of shooting we went out. That Saturday night, she proposed. And four weeks later, while still shooting, we got married. Of course, no one thought it would last. That was 41 years ago", Conway continued. Besides Conway, Balding is survived by her daughters, Sarah and Kathleen, and her grandchildren.

Many actors, directors, and fans of Balding paid their condolences to the late actress on Twitter. Journalist Mike Barnes wrote, "#RIP Rebecca Balding; such a welcome sight on shows including 'Lou Grant,' 'Soap,' 'Makin' It' and 'Charmed' and in the horror films 'The Silent Scream' and 'The Boogens,' the latter directed by her husband, James L. Conway."

A user wrote, "This is heartbreaking. Our own Rebecca Balding aka Elise Rothman has passed away. She was such a ball buster on Charmed when we first saw her but she grew into a surrogate mother to Phoebe and a loveable character to look forward to seeing on the show. Rest In Peace Blessed Be".

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While another user wrote, "Just heard that Rebecca Balding has passed away. I’ve been discovering some of Rebecca’s work over the last few years—she’s a genuine delight in SILENT SCREAM and THE BOOGENS, and deserves a bigger cache in horror fandom. RIP."