FRANCINE PASCAL, creator of the Sweet Valley High series, was one of the world's most popular fiction writers for teenagers and the author of several bestselling novels, including My Mother Was Never A Kid, My First Love and Other Disasters, as well as the series Fearless. Her adult novels include Save Johanna! and If Wishes Were Horses and the nonfiction book, The Strange Case of Patty Hearst. As a theater lover and Tony voter, Ms. Pascal sat on the Advisory Board of The American Theatre Wing. Her favorite sport was a monthly poker game. She died in 2024 at the age of ninety-two.