‘Brady Bunch’ Star Florence Henderson Dies at 82

You were America’s mom, and we shall miss you dearly.

Her death was unexpected. Henderson had suffered heart failure, her manager Kayla Pressman said in a statement.

Her TV daughter, Maureen McCormick of “Brady Bunch” fame, was a contestant on the show this season.

She made appearances on many TV shows including Samantha Who?

The actress died surrounded by friends and family at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She reprised her role as Carol Brady countless times, both in “Brady Bunch” spin-off TV movies and series as well in more satirical contexts, like “The Love Boat”. Love & hugs to her family.

Her former castmates expressed their shock and grief at her passing. She gave us an idealized template for how a matriarch should be: patient and loving with an on-trend wardrobe and just a hint of sternness when her kids were “taking a joke too far”.

“I would go to her sometimes when I was struggling with issues”, he told the Daily News.

Henderson recalled working from the age of 8, baby-sitting and cleaning other people’s homes, and sometimes singing a folk or country song in exchange for groceries. “She was very much another mother figure”.

“She was so understanding, never lost her temper”, Thompson said.

“What is the one thing that, I guess, is the most different about you from Carol Brady?”.

“(Henderson) could not have been friendlier or kinder or more gracious”, said Kirsh, a 47-year-old who estimates he’s seen every “Brady Bunch” episode twice. Additionally, USA Today shared five lesser known facts about the actress the day following her death, one of which stated that she’d been an accredited hypnotherapist. “Now, if somebody wants to adjust my makeup on set that’s fine, but I don’t want to get there and be at the mercy of a hairstylist or a makeup person”.

She went on to land the female lead in a tour of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!

“She was very grateful to her fans and took time with them and was very generous with her time and sharing”. But Henderson’s own sass, warmth and strength made Carol Brady the right surrogate mom for the changing 1970s.

Post- “The Brady Bunch”, Henderson alternated her appearances in revivals of the show with guest appearances on other programs.

Henderson’s life story wasn’t as ideal as the character she played. He also co-wrote the 1992 book “Growing Up Brady: I Was A Teenage Greg”, which stripped the saccharine veneer off one of TV’s legendary families and revealed the hardwood hijinks underneath, including affairs and drunkenness. They were married for 29 years.

Her second husband, John Kappas, died in 2002.

As the decades passed, she continued to be a presence through cameos and guest appearances.

The sitcom “tapped into Florence’s heart”, McCormick said, describing her as a woman who overcame life’s obstacles to endure as a stage and TV star, always seeing the glass half-full and relishing fun.

Stars from all genres paused their Thanksgiving festivities to honor their colleague and friend.