Paula Kent Meehan, co-founder of hair products firm Redken Laboratories and the owner of the Beverly Hills Courier, died Monday, that newspaper reported. She was 82 years old.

Meehan, of Beverly Hills, co-founded Redken in 1960. She had previously worked as an actress and, according to Redken’s official history, wanted to create hair products that were less irritating than those she used for her professional styling needs. The name Redken is taken from a combination of her own name and that of her hairdresser, Jheri Redding.

L’Oreal purchased Redken in 1993. The company is now headquartered in New York City.

Meehan acquired the Beverly Hills Courier in May. In a column written after taking ownership of the paper, Meehan wrote “the city of Beverly Hills holds a very special place in my heart. Simply put, I love it here. I feel very blessed to live here, and that is the primary reason I wanted to become the new owner of The Beverly Hills Courier.”

Meehan’s charitable activities included donations to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and the Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden, according to the Courier. She also served as president of the Beverly Hills Pet Care Foundation, an animal rescue organization.

Beverly Hills Courier Publisher Marcia Hobbs could not be reached immediately for comment.