Last night, we lost an icon. Florence Henderson has died at the age of 82 of heart failure. Although she had a prolific career on stage — including a celebrated role in Oklahoma on Broadway — and screen, she will be forever remembered as her most famous role as Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch. (She reprised the character in the spin-off projects The Brady Bunch Hour (a jaw-dropping variety show that has to be seen to be believed), The Brady Girls Get Married/The Brady Brides, A Very Brady Christmas, and the short-lived 1990 dramedy series The Bradys). Well aware of her role as a beloved pop culture figure and the world’s favorite TV mom, Henderson often poked fun at herself — ranging from appearing in Weird Al Yankovic’s “Amish Paradise” video to some memorable spoofs at the 1995 MTV Awards. She also was regularly involved with charity work and was a renowned commercial pitchwoman who made “Wessonality” famous, and was a regular guest on various game shows and talk shows — just this past week she made an appearance on Dancing with the Stars. We join the world in celebrating her life and career, just as we mourn her passing. Florence Henderson was a lovely lady indeed.
