Estelle Getty: “Golden Girl” Dies

July 22, 2008

Estelle Getty, who played the role of the mother Sophia on The Golden Girls, died Tuesday morning of advanced dementia at the age of 84.

Getty’s portrayal of tart-tongued Sophia was so much of a hit from 1985 to 1992 on the show that she also played the role on The Golden Palace, Nurses, Empty Nest and Blossom.

Getty won an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and also an American Comedy Award for the role.

In 2000, she announced her retirement after revealing her diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and two years later, it was announced that she was also suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Here’s a video clip of classic Sophia.

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