When I opened Facebook first thing Thursday morning, I saw a post on comedian and actress Ruth Buzzi’s Facebook page. Her husband wrote:
This is Ruth Buzzi‘s husband writing on her page. She asked me to thank all of you for being so good to her for so many years. She wants you to know she probably had more fun doing those shows than you had watching them. Because of health issues, she’s [sic] must withdraw from writing, but she will still be reading and enjoying your posts.
After a paragraph asking fans to post pics they had taken with her over the years, he concluded, “Ruthie loves you.”
On Friday morning, another post announced, “Ruth Buzzi died peacefully in her sleep at home in Texas.” She was 88 years old and lived a full, fascinating life.
The daughter of a stone sculptor, Buzzi was born in Rhode Island on July 24, 1936, and grew up in Connecticut. She was the head cheerleader in high school and moved across the country to study at the Pasadena Playhouse College of Theatre Arts. She toured with musicals and appeared off-Broadway before getting her first big break on “The Garry Moore Show,” the same variety show that launched Carol Burnett’s television career.
Buzzi appeared in commercials and the original cast of “Sweet Charity” on Broadway before landing her best-known gig in the cast of “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In.” She received five Emmy nominations and won a Golden Globe during the show’s run, in which she played multiple characters. Her most famous character was the frumpy spinster Gladys, who furiously hit men with her purse when she thought they were coming on to her.
After “Laugh-In,” Buzzi acted in several movies, did voiceover work, and appeared on countless television series and game shows alongside Burnett, Lucille Ball, and Steve Allen, among others. She was part of the cast of the 1984 syndicated special, “Don’t Ask Me, Ask God,” which presented biblical answers to life’s tough questions.
In 1977, she recorded a country single entitled “You Oughta Hear the Song.” It didn’t sell well, and she later joked about the song’s lack of success.
Ruth Buzzi – Here’s a medley of my hit song: I’d like to thank the millions and millions of you who didn’t buy a copy. I got to spend quality time at home in ‘78 instead of standing in front of all those aggravating audiences.https://t.co/P9jNMS11ZX via @YouTube
— RUTH BUZZI (@Ruth_A_Buzzi) May 29, 2022
Buzzi later guest-starred on soap operas, had a successful nightclub act, and spent several years on the cast of “Sesame Street.” She married actor Kent Perkins in 1978, and they lived on a 600-acre ranch in Texas.
Perkins and Buzzi did extensive charity work over the years, including fundraisers for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and the Dallas Museum of Biblical Art. Buzzi was an avid painter, and she and her husband had a vast collection of classic cars that they were proud of.
Buzzi maintained a delightful presence on Facebook and X over the years. On social media, she displayed her upbeat sense of humor, shared her Hollywood memories, and detailed ranch life. (And she followed me on X, which shows that she had great taste!) Some of the things she said on social media made me think she might have been a conservative, but I don’t have definitive proof.
She faced an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 2012, and she retired from acting in 2021. A series of strokes in 2022 slowed her down, but she kept posting on social media until this week. She passed away in her sleep on Thursday.
Rest in Peace, Ruth Buzzi. You’ll be sorely missed.
