Certain icons leave an enduring impression in the worlds of Hollywood and television. Florence Henderson, well known for her role as Carol Brady on ‘The Brady Bunch,’ has remained a treasured presence in our hearts. Come along with us as we set out to find out the current whereabouts of this renowned actress and provide an answer to the age-old query, “Is Florence Henderson still alive?”
Is Florence Henderson Still Alive?
No, Florence Henderson, who played one of America’s favorite television moms in The Brady Bunch, died at the age of 82. When the news of Florence Henderson’s death reached the Brady Bunch fans, they were taken aback. Henderson attended the Dancing with the Stars taping three days before her death. She went to cheer on her friend Maureen McCormick, who was a contender.
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When Did Florence Henderson Die?
She was one of America’s mothers, a television legend who spanned generations. Florence Henderson, who played Carol Brady on “The Brady Bunch,” died of heart failure on November 24, 2016, at the age of 82.
Her death came as a shock. Henderson recently visited a taping of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” to support Maureen McCormick, who plays her TV daughter Marcia Brady.
Henderson had appeared on television and in films. “We are all in a state of shock,” said Pressman, who chatted with the actress on Wednesday night. Henderson died in a hospital in Los Angeles, surrounded by family and friends.
Florence Henderson Cause of Death
Florence Henderson had been battling major heart troubles for a long time until her death from a heart attack two weeks ago, according to her official death certificate.
ET discloses that the Brady Bunch star has suffered coronary artery disease for ten years and atrial fibrillation (commonly known as an irregular heartbeat) for the last five.
Henderson, who died on November 24 accompanied by her four children, had earlier this year filmed a video for Go Red for Women, the American Heart Association’s initiative to raise awareness about heart disease and strokes in women.
In the video, the actress discussed her own continuing fight with heart disease.
“I knew as a child that I had a heart murmur,” Henderson explained in the video. “And as I got older, I was experiencing more irregular heartbeats. So finally, I went to a cardiologist about eight years ago and I was in really bad shape.”
Henderson described her experience in the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she underwent heart surgery to repair her broken mitral valve.
“I urge women to have your heart checked. Go to a cardiologist,” said the actress in the video. “If I can help one person and save one person’s life, then I’m thrilled.”
Florence Henderson’s Enduring Legacy on ‘The Brady Bunch’
Henderson starred as Carol Brady on the hit syndication show “The Brady Bunch” from 1969 until 1974. “The Brady Bunch” was a narrative about a charming lady and a man named Brady, who were both widows with three children.
The peppy theme song and Rubik’s cube-style introduction, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia,” the football moment, and, of course, Henderson herself – with her huge blue eyes and trademark blonde coiffure – are still pop culture classics 40 years later.
Her former co-stars expressed shock and grief at her death. “Florence Henderson was a dear friend for so very many years & in my <3 forever. Love & hugs to her family. I’ll miss u dearly #RIPFlorence,” tweeted Maureen McCormick, whom Henderson had seen just days before her death.
Florence Henderson was a dear friend for so very many years & in my <3 forever. Love & hugs to her family. I'll miss u dearly #RIPFlorence
— Maureen McCormick (@MoMcCormick7) November 25, 2016
You are in my heart forever Florence💕 pic.twitter.com/PABCuPubA2
— Maureen McCormick (@MoMcCormick7) November 25, 2016
Florence Henderson’s Remarkable Journey from a Challenging Past to Hollywood Stardom
Henderson’s personal story was not as perfect as the one she played on television. She grew up destitute in Indiana, the daughter of an alcoholic father and a mother who abandoned her when she was 12 years old.
She was a gifted singer who used her singing to entertain the family and make ends meet.”I don’t ever remember not singing. And I would sing and pass the hat, and I would sing for groceries,” she told the American Television Archive in 1999.
Her big break came in 1951 when she was cast as the lead in the musical “Oklahoma!” Her voice propelled her to a successful Broadway career, and she later landed high-profile television roles.
In 1959, she worked as an NBC “Today Girl,” and in 1962, she became the first woman to host the “Tonight Show.”
In 1969, Henderson changed her name to Carol Brady. “I created the kind of mother that I wished I’d had, and I think everyone longs for,” she went on to say.
Henderson married Ira Bernstein in 1955 and gave birth to her first child, Barbara, in 1956. The fact that she was a young wife and mother aided her in playing Carol Brady.
“I understood kids. I was close to them,” she told the AAT in 1999. “I was the only one on the set who was married.” Henderson and Bernstein had four children. They had been together for 29 years. She married hypnotherapist John Kappas in 1987. He passed away in 2002.
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Florence Henderson: A Legendary Figure
Henderson remained a screen and stage presence after “The Brady Bunch” ended. She continued her musical career for a time, resurrecting her part as Annie Oakley in “Annie Get Your Gun” in 1981. Of course, she brought Carol Brady back for a slew of “Brady Bunch” spinoffs and specials.
She remained a presence through cameos and guest appearances over the years. She appeared on “Murder She Wrote,” “Ellen,” “Roseanne,” “30 Rock,” and, strangely, “WWE Raw” in 2010.
She experimented in film, starring in “The Brady Bunch Movie” and, most recently, “50 Shades of Black.” She also enjoyed appearing on game shows, including “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” “The $100,000 Pyramid,” and “Dancing with the Stars.”
In Honor of America’s Mom
Celebrities from different genres interrupted their Thanksgiving celebrations to remember a colleague and friend. Al Yankovic stated, “So terribly sad to hear of the passing of the great Florence Henderson. It was a true honor to have known and worked with her.”
So terribly sad to hear of the passing of the great Florence Henderson. It was a true honor to have known and worked with her. pic.twitter.com/bhgLigHEI4
— Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) November 25, 2016
“Florence Henderson was a doll and a dame and funny as hell. RIP,” actor Michael McKean remarked. Henderson’s contemporaries included McKean, who starred in the 1970s sitcom “Laverne and Shirley.”
Florence Henderson was a doll and a dame and funny as hell. RIP
— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) November 25, 2016