Actress Bea Arthur died 25 April 2009 of cancer. Born Bernice Frankel in New York City on 13 May 1922, she made up her own first name, calling herself first B—, and then stretching it to Beatrice because she liked how it might look on a theater marquee. She won two Emmy Awards for lead actress in a comedy series, in 1977 for Maude and in 1988 for The Golden Girls. She was nominated for another eight Emmys and nine Golden Globes.
The tall comic actress with the dark voice started her acting career on stage in New York in 1954, appearing in The Threepenny Opera. In 1964, she was Yente in Fiddler on the Roof. She won a Tony Award for best featured actress in a musical in 1966 (for playing Vera Charles in Mame opposite Angela Lansbury), and reprised the role on film opposite Lucille Ball in 1974.
Her biggest impact, however, was on television, where producer Norman Lear turned her guest appearance on All in the Family (1971) into the spin-off series Maude, which ran from 1972 to 1978. As the title character, she attacked major social issues with comedy, and was an outspoken proponent of women’s liberation and more. And then later, she was one of the four co-stars of The Golden Girls, about four women living in retirement in Florida (1985-92).
Her genre credits include Futurama (2001), Disneyland (1986), History of the World, Part I (1981), and The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978).
She was married and divorced twice. Her first husband, from whom she created her last name, was screenwriter/producer Robert Alan Aurthur. She was married to actor/director Gene Saks from 1950 to 1980, and with him had two sons. She is survived by her sons and by two grandchildren.