Merle Pertile
Merle Pertile (November 23, 1941 – February 21, 1997) was an American model and actress. She was "Playboy" magazine's Playmate of the Month for its January 1962 issue. Biography. 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. Following graduation, she moved to Los Angeles, where she became a contract player with Universal Pictures and had guest spots on several TV shows. 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. According to "The Playmate Book", Pertile died on November 28, 1997. She was married to Jed S. Levitt. She has a son, Krishna Joseph Levitt and a daughter, Kenya Johanna Levitt. She died on February 21, 1997, in Lake Arrowhead, California. The cause of death was complications following heart surgery.