Lonnie Anderson, the popular actress who made her mark on “WKRP in Cincinnati” as the smart and charming receptionist, passed away Sunday at the age of 79, just days before she turned 80.

Anderson breathed her last in a Los Angeles hospital after a “prolonged” illness, her longtime spokeswoman Cheryl J. Cagan said.

“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother,” her family said in a statement.

“WKRP in Cincinnati,” which aired from 1978 to 1982, was set at an Ohio radio station that was trying to revitalize itself with rock music. Anderson stood out in the role of Jennifer Marlowe, the dazzling but brilliant receptionist whose wit and charm kept the station running, often covering for the incompetence of others.

The cast included Gary Sandy, Tim Reid, Howard Hesseman, Frank Bonner, and Jan Smithers, along with Anderson as Jennifer Marlowe, whose good looks were matched by her intelligence.

The role earned Anderson two Emmy Award nominations and three Golden Globe nominations.

Anderson starred on the big screen alongside Bert Reynolds in the 1983 comedy Stroker Ace, and the two later married before separating in 1994.

Their son, Quinton Reynolds, was “the best decision we ever made in our entire relationship,” he said at the unveiling of a bronze bust at Reynolds’ grave in Hollywood in 2021.

Anderson detailed their tumultuous marriage in her 1995 autobiography, “My Life in High Heels,” which she said was about “the growth of a woman, a woman who survives.”

She has been married four times, most recently to Bob Flick in 2008.

A private family ceremony has been planned at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Cagan said.