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 edit
Pertile 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.[citation needed]
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. She had a son, Krishna Joseph Levitt[4][better source needed] a daughter, Kenya Johanna Levitt,[5][better source needed] and a daughter, Christi, by actor Peter Brown.[6] According to The Playmate Book, Pertile died on November 28, 1997,[1] in Lake Arrowhead, California, from complications following heart surgery.[3]
See also edit
References 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.