John Travolta Shares Tribute to “Grease” Costar Susan Buckner: 'We Will Miss You!'

Buckner "died peacefully on May 2 surrounded by loved ones,” according to a statement shared with PEOPLE by her publicist

John Travolta is remembering his "special" Grease costar Susan Buckner.

A day after a publicist for Buckner's family told PEOPLE that the actress "died peacefully on May 2 surrounded by loved ones,” Travolta, 70, shared a sweet tribute to her in an Instagram Stories post.

"Susan you made Grease that much more special! We will miss you!" Travolta wrote below two photos of Buckner.

In the beloved 1978 musical, Buckner played Patty Simcox, an effervescent Rydell High cheerleader and friend to Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John).

Recalling her castmates' on-set antics while speaking with PEOPLE during the film's twentieth anniversary, Buckner expressed, "We were so bad. Almost everybody would come in two [or] three hours late. They had to bring us all in and give us a lecture.”

She gushed about her experience, telling PEOPLE in 1998 that her kids "don’t believe me when I tell them I’m really hip, I’m really cool."

After her death, Buckner's daughter Samantha Mansfield remembered her mother as someone who was a "light."

Related: Grease Actress Susan Buckner, Who Played Sandy's Cheerleading Friend Patty Simcox, Dead at 72

"The light she brought into every room will be missed forever. She was magic, and I was very lucky to call her my best friend," Mansfield shared with PEOPLE.

Long before embarking into acting, Buckner competed in pageants. One of her most notable titles includes winning Miss Washington in 1971 and she represented her home state in the Miss America competition the following year.

One of her early acting roles included being a member of The Golddiggers, an all-female singing and dancing group featured on The Dean Martin Show.

Related: Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2024

Other notable credits included appearances on The Mac Davis Show, Sonny and Cher, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, The Love Boat, and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

After stepping away from acting, Buckner directed children's theater at a Florida elementary school and served as a dance instructor at a gym in Coral Gables.

In addition to Mansfield, Buckner is son Adam Josephs, grandchildren Oliver, Riley, Abigail and Ruby, as well as her sister Linda, daughter-in-law Noel Josephs, son-in-law Adam Mansfield and longtime partner Al.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.