Leaving behind a legacy, actress Mary Tyler Moore died at the age of 80 on Jan. 25 after going into cardiac arrest. Diabetes, hypoxia, and aspiration pneumonia all contributed to Moore’s death. She died, peacefully, with her family surrounding her hospital bed.
The actress, born on Dec. 29, 1936, began her career dancing, later landing a gig on an appliance commercial in the 1950s.
TV viewers fell in love with Moore, as she starred on CBS’ “Dick Van Dyke Show” as Laura Petrie, a comedy writer’s stylish wife. The show overtook all other sitcoms, later winning two Emmys for her performances. The show came to an end in 1966, after a six-year run, starting in 1961.
One of Moore’s other shows that left an everlasting effect was her starring role in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” another CBS sitcom, running from 1970 to 1977. The actress played Mary Richards, a hard-working single woman, trying to show she is an independent woman in the male-dominated field of broadcast journalism.
“Mary Tyler Moore showed women were just as capable as men in the workplace…along with them standing up to the men, instead of traditionally being seen doing house work,” said Jim Zimmer, MHS transition education specialist.
In 1955, Moore married salesman Richard Meeker. A year later, gave birth to their son, also Richard Meeker. Meeker and Moore later divorced, and she married Grant Tinker, a television executive, also ending in divorce in 1981. In 1980, the actress’s son, Richard Jr., died from an accidental gunshot wound. In 1983, Moore remarried to Dr. Robert Levine.
The actress did struggle from alcoholism, just like her parents. In her mid-30s, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, later becoming a well-known spokesperson for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Maria Sgrignoli, MHS media assistant, watched Moore as a child, and said that Moore will be remembered as an example due to standing up for what was important and treating everyone as if they were her friends.
