You may know Betty White from The Golden Girls or maybe from her other films including The Proposal, and Annie’s Point. Betty Marion White Ludden was an American actress and comedian who was a pioneer of early screen time. She dedicated her life to the entertainment industry with a career spanning seven decades. White will be missed by her fans and loved ones and will never be forgotten. Although her publicist did not comment on White’s cause of death, it appears she died of natural causes. She was to celebrate her big 100th birthday on January 17, 2022, but unfortunately passed away at the age of 99 on December 31, 2021.

“It was actually extremely sad. She was such an influential and big movie star. I still remember when I used to watch The Golden Girls with my grandmother. She was always her favorite,” said junior Katie Painter.

Throughout her career, she had been nominated numerous times for her amazing on-screen performances. Her major competitive awards include five Primetime Emmys, a Daytime Emmy, a Grammy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Betty White didn’t have any children of her own, but in 1963 she married Allen Ludden, becoming a stepmother to his three kids: David, Martha, and Sarah. 

White was an extraordinary person who in fact was awarded the title of Longest TV Career for an Entertainer (Female) for her more than 70 years in show business. White also was working in theater, on radio, and as a model. In World War II, she shelved her ambitions and joined the American Women’s Voluntary Services. She also confessed in a 2014 interview, if she was not an actress she would be a zookeeper. Not only did she try to visit the local zoo wherever she traveled, but she was also a supporter of the Farm Animal Reform Movement and Friends of Animals group.

“I grew up watching The Golden Girls knowing Rose Nylund as Betty White. I was sorrowed to hear the passing of her, knowing she was a legend in the entertainment industry and more,” said senior Ava Fegley.