Thank you for being a friend

They say that a parent’s worst fear is surviving their child, and in my mind Estelle Getty, best known as Sophia on "The Golden Girls" left this world last summer satisfied that her longtime co-star (and daughter Dorothy on the show) Bea Arthur would be entertaining us for years to come.

But unfortunately only nine months after Getty’s passing, Arthur succumbed to cancer at the age of 86 early this morning, according to reports.

While best known for her Emmy-winning role of divorced substitute schoolteacher Dorothy Zbornak on the hit NBC series that debuted in 1985, Arthur earlier won an Emmy as the star of the hit 1970's series "Maude."

Playing liberal feminist Maude Findlay on the "All in the Family" spinoff would prepare her for the role of Dorothy, a snarky social commentator who regularly championed the civil rights of women, the elderly and the LGBT community. These roles would cement her status as an LGBT icon, an accomplishment she discussed in a 2001 "Out Magazine" interview.

Admitting that she once considered a lesbian tryst after an unhappy divorce, Arthur proved her allegiance with LGBT folk when asked what in her mind was the single greatest issue gay people face today. "With all the improvements and all the people who've become so much more knowledgeable, there's still an enormous amount of vicious homophobia," she said with classic Maude and Dorothy fearlessness.

Arthur, a native of New York City, began her career on stage in the 1940's, before winning the 1966 Tony for her portrayal of "Vera Charles" in "Mame." In 1974 she would bring this role to the silver screen adaptation.

After leaving "The Golden Girls" in 1992, the acclaimed actress guest-starred on "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and in 2005 appeared at the Comedy Central roast of Pamela Anderson, delivering a deadpan reading of excerpts from the blond bombshell’s book "Star: The Novel," in which Anderson provides her fans with anal sex tips. Arthur would also return to the stage and gain another Tony nod for "Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends," a personal collection of stories and songs. In 2008 Arthur was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. Twice married, Arthur is survived by her two adopted sons Matthew and Daniel Saks. But in fact, she was a mother to many. Ask any of the "Daughters of Dorothy" all around the world.

While very much saddened by this late news, I find comfort in the thought that Getty is now with open arms and a "Come here, pussycat," welcoming her TV daughter into the great lanai in the sky.

Bea Arthur will continue to live on in timeless "Golden Girls"episodes that have made many of us laugh till we cried. But we all have our favorite Dorothy moments. What’s yours?

Here are a few clips of the amazing Bea Arthur:

Bea chats with Rosie (includes a clip of Maude's first appearance on "All in the Family"):

Maude (Bea Arthur) hosts a catastrophic telethon:

Bea sings a duet with Rock Hudson:

Dorothy (Bea Arthur) says "Whoa":

Dorothy (Bea Arthur) sings "What'll I Do?":

The Golden Girls opening (Thank you for being a friend):

Written by Josh Rotter

(Images courtesy of Getty, Yahoo)

Comments

[Shane deMarcus]

I was able to see her in a Broadway show many years ago ( I was very young, taken there my older gay friends of course ) She reminded me much of Ethel Merman in her voice projection - speaking/singing. She did not need a microphone. Nice tribute.
Shane

[Rick Lopez]

She will be missed by many ;) Poor thing. <3