Merle Pertile (November 23, 1941 – November 28, 1997)[1] was an American model and actress. She was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its January 1962 issue.[2]
| Merle Pertile | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Playboy centerfold appearance | |
| January 1962 | |
| Preceded by | Lynn Karrol |
| Succeeded by | Kari Knudsen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 23, 1941 Whittier, California, U.S. |
| Died | November 28, 1997 (aged 56)[1] Lake Arrowhead, California, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) |
Biography
editPertile was born on November 23, 1941, in Whittier, California, and grew up in Indiana and Illinois. She attended and graduated from Hammond High School, Hammond, Indiana in 1959.[3] Following graduation, she moved to Los Angeles, where she became a contract player with Universal Pictures and had guest spots on several TV shows. During the second season of the Playboy's Penthouse TV series (1960–61), Pertile became a regular cast member. It was there that she first met Hugh Hefner.[citation needed]
She was married to Jed S. Levitt, with whom she had a son, Krishna Joseph Levitt,[4][better source needed] and a daughter, Kenya Johanna Levitt.[5][better source needed] She also had a daughter, Christi, by actor Peter Brown.[6] According to The Playmate Book, Pertile died on November 28, 1997, aged 56,[1] in Lake Arrowhead, California, from complications following heart surgery.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Edgren, Gretchen (2005). The Playmate Book: Six Decades of Centerfolds. Taschen. ISBN 978-3822848241.
- ^ "January 1962 Playmate Data". Retrieved March 11, 2018.
- ^ a b "Merle Pertile Profile". Hammond High School. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
- ^ "Krishna Levitt". IMDb.
- ^ "Kenya Pertile-Levitt". IMDb.
- ^ Aaker, Everett (2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland & Company. p. 70. ISBN 978-1476662503.