Jean Stapleton Has Died

The actress Jean Stapleton died May 31, 2013 at the age of 90. Ms. Stapleton became a household name at the age of 50 playing the role of long suffering Edith Bunker on the seminal TV sitcom "All in the Family". The character of Edith became one of televisions favorite characters being the voice of reason to her husband Archie and his prejudices. Stapleton played the character of Edith for 9 years. Edith would also make appearances on the spin-off "Maude". The final year of "All in the Family" the series became know as "Archie Bunker's Place". The new series started with the death of Edith Bunker.
Jean Stapleton was born with the name Jeanne Murray in New York on January 19, 1923. Her career started off on the Broadway stage where she appeared in "Damned Yankees". She later moved to making movies and television. In 1968 she first worked with Carroll O'Connor in a pilot called "Those were the Days" that was not picked up. Three years later it had been re-worked and became "All in the Family" and this lead to stardom for Jean Stapleton who won 3 Emmy awards. Edith the "dingbat" made her a star.
Jean Stapleton was married for 30 years to William Putch who ran a summer stock theater in Pennsylvania where Stapleton would appear.