Della Reese
Della Reese played Tess, Monica’s wise and sometimes strict supervisor, for all nine seasons. She also sang the show’s memorable theme song, “Walk with You.”
Before Touched by an Angel, Reese already had a long career. She started as a gospel singer and toured with Mahalia Jackson as a teenager, then found success in jazz and pop music. Later, she moved into acting and television.
After Touched by an Angel, Reese made occasional TV appearances, including roles on That’s So Raven, The Young and the Restless, and in several TV movies.
Reese was also an ordained minister. She started the Understanding Principles for Better Living Church in Los Angeles and preached there for many years, showing her real-life faith went even deeper than her role as Tess.
She and Roma Downey stayed very close after the show ended. They described their relationship as a mother-daughter bond, and Reese officiated Downey’s wedding to Mark Burnett in 2007.
Reese passed away at her home in California on November 19, 2017, at age 86. After her death, Downey honored her longtime friend and co-star, saying, “She was a mother to me.”
