I am not into ‘celebrities’ and following the private lives of actors, musicians, athletes and the like.  But yesterday, the death of one celebrity brought me to tears.  That celebrity was, of course, Betty White who died on Friday just 18 days short of celebrating her 100^th birthday.

Ms. White, in the words of former First Lady Michelle Obama …

“… broke barriers, defied expectations, served her country, and pushed us all to laugh. Barack and I join so many around the world who will miss the joy she brought to the world.”

She had a long career, playing in so many different television shows that I cannot count them all, but throughout her career she has cared about people and issues.  Take, for example, her first televised variety show where, in 1954, as the host and producer, she defied racist demands to get rid of a scheduled guest, Arthur Duncan, because he was Black.  Duncan, at 21, had been performing in a dance quartet for years and was looking for his big break.  Betty White gave it to him, and to the naysayers she simply said, “Live with it.”

A funny story in my own family about Betty White … one day my granddaughter, who was then about 4 or 5 years old, saw Betty White on television and excitedly declared, “Grannie … there’s the Queen of England!!!”  Needless to say, this became a family joke that is still laughed about today, and I imagine Betty would have taken some pleasure from the mix-up had she known.

R.I.P. Betty White … you gave so much to us and you will be missed.

In 1969 with talk show host David Letterman

With husband, game-show host Allen Ludden who died in 1981.

Betty as Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls, the role for which she is best remembered, shown here with co-stars Rue McClanahan and Bea Arthur.

In 2010, Betty receives the Screen Actor’s Guild’s ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’

On her 90th birthday

With President Obama in 2012

Betty White in 2021 … she still has that winning smile and twinkle in her eyes.