DIED. Pinky Lee, 85, popular star of 1950s children's television shows; of a heart attack; in Mission Viejo, California. Born Pincus Leff in St. Paul, Minnesota, he was a onetime vaudeville showman whose spry, goofy style on NBC's nationally shown The Pinky Lee Show made him one of children's television's first stars. His checkered brim hat and baggy pants became his famous trademarks. During a 1955 broadcast, Lee collapsed from exhaustion on live TV, which many children in the audience and at home thought was part of his act.