How old was Della Reese when she died in November 2017?

Della Reese was 86 years old when she died in November 2017. She died at her home in Encino, Los Angeles, on November 19, 2017, several months after her 86th birthday.

Born Delloreese Patricia Early on July 6, 1931, Reese first became known as a gospel, jazz, blues, and pop singer. Her 1959 hit “Don’t You Know?” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her signature recording.

She later built a successful acting career, appearing in films and television programs before earning widespread recognition as Tess on the CBS drama Touched by an Angel. Reese was also an ordained minister and author. A common mix-up is confusing her age with the year of her birth: she was born in 1931 and died in 2017, but she had already celebrated her 86th birthday.