Valerie Harper, Beloved TV Icon, Dies at 80, After a Long Battle With Cancer

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/valerie-harper-beloved-tv-icon-dies-at-80-after-a-long-battle-with-cancer/ar-AAGzSFM?ocid=spartanntp

Valerie Harper, who played one of TV’s most popular and enduring characters — the constantly dating, constantly dieting Rhoda Morgenstern — for nearly a decade starting in 1970, has died, PEOPLE confirms. She was 80.

The star died on Friday at 10:06 a.m., her family confirmed to ABC 7. Her cause of death was not immediately known.

Harper had been battling a number of health issues over the past few years, including leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, lung cancer and brain cancer.

On July 8, a family friend set up a GoFundMe page titled “The Valerie Harper Cancer Support Fund” in order to assist Harper with her daily “unrelenting medical costs” so that she would receive “the best care possible.”

Within the first week, the campaign had raised over $40,000 from friends, family and many of Harper’s beloved fans.

Identifiable Character

Once she debuted as the kooky neighbor from New York on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970, Harper liked to say, “People identify with Rhoda because she’s a loser” — a claim that the actress would soon have to deny.

Though the CBS Saturday night sitcom was not a ratings hit its first season, Harper took home the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress. After that, the show remained solidly in the top 10 for years, and Harper won two more supporting actress awards.

From that success came the 1974–78 spin-off Rhoda and a Best Actress Emmy. When Rhoda got married, on October 28, 1974, the special hour-long episode shattered ratings records with 52 million viewers — more than half of America’s entire viewing audience.

Wanted to Be a Dancer

Valerie Harper was born in Rockland County, New York in the town of Suffern to parents Iva and Donald. Her mom was a nurse, while her dad was a lighting salesman who traveled the country, taking his family with him. By the age of 13, Harper had lived in New Jersey, California, Michigan and Oregon.

Simultaneously taking ballet and attending Manhattan’s School for Young Professionals, Harper debuted professionally at age 16 as part of the Corps de Ballet at Radio City Music Hall, where, at 5 ft., 6 in., she said that she felt “like a klutz next to those other skinny girls.”

Hoping to graduate from the chorus, where she danced in such Broadway shows as 1960’s Lucille Ball musical Wildcat, Harper seriously plunged into acting lessons, though it was her comedic skills that got her into Chicago’s Second City Theater.

Darn, I liked her. Sweet woman.

I really liked her. I remembered they said she had brain cancer and said she had 3 months to live, that was years ago. She was a fighter. R.I.P Valerie, say hi to my mom up there

[Edited 9/1/19 11:58am]

We have to deal with cancer.

2freaky4church1 said:

We have to deal with cancer.

I believe there are cures for many things, including some cancers. Disease is big business. Cures mean too many doctors and hospitals going bankrupt.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/valerie-harper-laid-to-rest-in-la-as-daughter-gives-speech-during-funeral/ar-AAGXmNO?ocid=spartanntp

Valerie Harper‘s friends and family honored the late actress on Saturday for a powerful and emotional funeral service.

The actress was laid to rest at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, near graves of late stars Mickey Rooney and Chris Cornell.

In attendance were director James L. Brooks, actor Elliott Gould and actress Frances Fisher.

The service was filled with tears and laughter, especially when Harper’s daughter, Cristina Cacciotti, shared loving words about her mother’s much-celebrated toughness during her cancer battle.

“I don’t have balls, I have steel ovaries,” Cacciotti recalled her mother saying. Other speakers also recounted Harper’s lifelong acts of charity and political activism.

Harper died on Aug. 30 at age 80 after years of health issues, including leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, lung cancer and brain cancer. The actress was diagnosed with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis in 2013, just four years after she beat lung cancer in 2009. The condition occurs when cancer cells spread into the fluid-filled membrane surrounding the brain, known as the meninges.

Following the news of her death, Harper’s daughter Christina shared a heartwarming message on behalf of her father Tony Cacciotti.

“My dad has asked me to pass on this message: ‘My beautiful caring wife of nearly 40 years has passed away at 10:06 a.m., after years of fighting cancer,’” Cristina wrote on Twitter. “She will never, ever be forgotten. Rest In Peace, mia Valeria. — Anthony.”

Throughout Harper’s years-long struggles, Cacciotti, her husband of 32 years, remained by her side. He took it upon himself to ensure that his wife was as comfortable as possible in some of the final moments of her life.

Despite their professional opinion, Cacciotti said he was not willing to listen to them because of how much he adored Harper and vowed to do what he deemed best for his wife.

“I have been told by doctors to put Val in Hospice care and I can’t [because of our 40 years of shared commitment to each other] and I won’t because of the amazing good deeds she has graced us with while she’s been here on earth,” he wrote in a Facebook post on July 23.

Valerie was awesome, especially in MTM and Rhoda.

RIP.

Another sad death. She fought until the end though.

I discovered Valerie Harper though through my mom. She was a fan of her shows(as was i).

And as a little kid i had a crush on Valerie. I always thought she was pretty.

RIP.

[Edited 9/18/19 16:20pm]