Television actress Florence Henderson, who is best known for her role as matriarch Carol Brady on the classic sitcom The Brady Bunch, died Thursday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. She was 82. Florence's manager, Kayla Pressman, said in a statement to AP that the actress died on Thanksgiving night, surrounded by family and friends.
Before getting into TV Henderson gained fame in musicals. Later, she became the "Today Girl" on NBC's Today show and became the first woman to guest host the show. In the 1950s and '60s, the TV icon had a very busy career on Broadway. Though it was The Brady Bunchthat gave her the fame and she defined the television mother of the modern era with her role in "The Brady Bunch."
The ABC sitcom Sherwood Schwartz by ran from 1969 to 1974. The story was based on a typical American family, where Henderson played the role of a mother to three daughters.
Henderson was recently seen on screen when she was attending the taping of the ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" to support her TV daughter of "The Brady Bunch" fame Maureen McCormick. As McCormick was a contestant on the show's 23rd season.
Though, the original show ended in 1974. Florence appeared in the offshoots of The Brady Bunch Hour (1977), The Brady Brides (1981), The Bradys (1990) and in the movie A Very Brady Christmas(1988). She has also made a cameo in 1995's The Brady Bunch Movie.
The TV icon appeared in a number of TV shows including She Wrote, Fantasy Island, Murder, Ally McBeal, Roseanne, and 30 Rock. Henderson was also a philanthropist and also a supporter of numerous causes which includes City of Hope and House Ear Institute
The TV actress had four children with Ira Bernstein, her first husband. After which she was married to Dr. John George Kappas in 1987 until he passed away in 2002.
