Florence Henderson, America's Mom, Has Died

LOS ANGELES, CA — Actress Florence Henderson, who was best known for playing mom Carol Brady on the iconic TV sitcom "The Brady Bunch," died Thursday. She was 82.

Henderson died of heart failure at a Southland hospital surrounded by family and friends, her manager, Kayla Pressman, told reporters.

She was born in Dale, Indiana, the youngest of 10 children. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and began her career on Broadway.

Henderson toured in the national touring company of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Oklahoma" and appeared in several Broadway musicals including "Wish You Were Here," "Fanny" and "The Girl Who Came to Supper."

She was also a frequent guest on television variety and game shows. In 1962, Henderson became the first woman to fill in as guest host of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

The role that would make her a household name and international icon came in 1969 when she was cast as a woman with three daughters who marries a man with three sons to form a blended family dubbed "The Brady Bunch."

It aired on ABC from 1969 to 1974 but has lived on in reruns, spinoffs such as "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour," on the big screen and as a touchstone in pop culture.

In the eyes of many fans, she was "America's mom."

"I played Carol as the mother I always wished I had ... as the mother a lot of people wished they had," she once said.

The show's success led to television appearances on other TV programs including "The Love Boat," "Murder She Wrote," "Ally McBeal" and "30 Rock." She was also a spokesperson for products such as Wesson oil and Polident denture grip.

In 2010, she became the oldest contestant to compete on "Dancing With the Stars" and was at the show's taping on Monday, Nov. 21 to support her Brady co-star Maureen McCormick, who competed this season.

"You are in my heart forever, Florence," McCormick posted on Twitter.

"Dancing With the Stars" host Tom Bergeron also posted a remembrance and photo on Twitter: "Heartbroken. I'll miss you, my friend," he wrote.

At the time of her death, she was the host of "Who's Cooking with Florence Henderson" and "The Florence Henderson Show" on the Retirement Living TV cable network.

Henderson was married twice and is survived by four children and five grandchildren.

Fans and fellow actors flooded social media Friday with remembrances of Henderson.

Actress Holly Robinson Peete summarized what a lot of fans were saying on Twitter and elsewhere as word of Henderson's death spread.

"I'm wrecked that Florence Henderson passed," she wrote. "Grew up watching her like we all did and got to meet and love her dearly. My heart is punctured."

City News Service; Photo: Public Domain