tv mum and dad have died

[charlene]

Mr. C., as Fonzie called him, (Mr. Cunningham) Tom Bosley on Happy Days died at 83
and Mrs. Cleaver, Barbara Billingsley on Leave it To Beaver have died at 94


http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20435305,00.html?xid=rss-topheadlines

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2010/10/16/barbara-billingsley-june-clever-death.html

[Borderstone]

I seriously think I'm going to cry.

I'm sad for Barbara Billingsly for I grew up watching Leave It To Beaver reruns in the 70s & 80s. She was certainly a mom everyone wish they had. She was one the one hand a classy woman but also I could tell she hada feistier side too.

I loved her two very surprising appearences in both "Airplane" as the white "jive-talking" woman and on "Roseanne" where,as herself,she shockingly says that she'd gladly do a certain kind of a scene with a woman in a movie for the right salary.


Even sadder for me,Tom Bosley. I watched Happy Days from age 7-8 (third season) right up to the end in 1984 at age 16. Including re-riuns of the first shows. Mr. C and family meant a lot to our family.

Just like Howard,my grandfather owned a hardware store in our much smaller hometown of Corry,PA. ...and just like Howard & Marion.he and my grandmother were a team and loved eachother dearly. They only had a daughter though,my mother.

I recall watching a particular show with my Grandmother,Marion takes Howards dinner down to him at the store on a cold winter night. She said to do that too sometimes.

Tom Bosley was also known for the Peter Sellers movie "The World Of Henry Orient" and "Father Dowling Mysteries". He was also the voice of the father in the early 70s animated show ,"Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home".

He was so funny in the 1st Happy Days reunion,he looks around and goes "Chuck? Is that you Chuck?" He was great on the series of course,equally balancing out his character's comedy with the slight dramatic seriousness of an understanding father.

Funniest when Howard runs quickly down the stairs going "Fi-i-i-ire...we-e-e-e've got fi-i-i-ire!" and most serious when Richie is in a coma after a motorcycle accident. Mr. Bosely had wonderful acting abilites even greater than shown on Happy Days.


Rest in Peace to you both. You may have been actors playing a role but you displayed
the kind of parenting in your roles,that all parents would love to be able emulate. Good humor,understanding & fairness with a firm but gentle hand.

[charlene]

very nicely said B.

[Borderstone]

Thanks Char.

Funny thing,Tom was the TV spokesman for the SMC info-mercials. I'm sure we've all seen them.

I applied to and got an interview with a local office of SMC,just two weeks ago tomorrow(Thursday). Tom's ads came up in discussion,in the interview somehow. Didn't get that job but it's an odd coincidence.

Last thing I saw Tom Bosley in was rerun of "That 70s Show" , he played a relationship counselor for one of the female characters on the show. He gets a call from home and has a loud discussion with his wife.

Barbara,I saw her 3 years ago out at the red carpet for the TV Land Awards.

[Auburn Annie]

I loved Tom Bosley in The World of Henry Orient; one of the few Sellers movies I like, probably because it's more about the girls than Henry Orient.

As for Barbara Billingsley, well, I grew up with ALL those TV moms, June (Cleaver) and Harriet (Nelson) and Donna (Reed) and Betty (Anderson), even Lily (Munster) lol. Though they eventually gave way to Edith (Bunker) and Roseanne (Conners) and Peg (Bundy), the great thing is we can always watch again, courtesy of reruns (HULU, TV Land, Museum of Television Broadcasting etc.)

[Borderstone]

I just remembered that Barbara Billingsly & June Lockhart once appeared in an episode of Happy Days around 1982.

Marion is sad because Richie is in Greenland in theArmy and Joanie is in Chicago with Chachi. She goes to get her hair done and while sitting under one of those huge helmet hair dryers,it turns out sitting next to her are two TV mom's who are also have gone through "empy nest" syndrome'.

[jj]

that is sad...good long lives...i wonder who other fave moms and dads are...or fave hubbys and wives we've embraced via the tube over the decades?

hard to pick top 3 lists...every show tried to have at least a few 'dear' characters