As we continue to mourn the passing of the First Lady of Television and the last living Golden Girl, Betty White, we’ve learned her last few words (or word, rather).
White passed away on Friday, December 31, just over two weeks shy of her 100th birthday. And though she lived a very long and full life, to her fans, it just wasn’t long enough. She has always been a part of so many of our lives for such a long time (everyone probably knows a good St. Olaf story thanks to Rose Nylund).
She is being remembered as one of television’s funniest leading ladies for her work in shows such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hot in Cleveland, and The Golden Girls. While she was mostly known for her work on television, she also starred in the 2009 romantic comedy The Proposal, where she befriended fellow actor Ryan Reynolds.
Vicki Lawrence reveals Betty White’s final word
According to longtime actress and pal Vicki Lawrence, Betty’s final word was actually just one word, “Allen.”
This was confirmed by Betty’s assistant, who was with her at the time.
Allen Ludden was Betty White’s husband from 1963 to his death in 1981 at age 63 from cancer. They met on the TV game show Password, which Ludden hosted and White was a frequent guest contestant. She never remarried after his death.
‘You didn’t really work with her; you just had a good time
Lawrence reflected on her friend’s career and life in a January 3 interview with Page Six, saying the following:
“Well, you didn’t really work with her, you just had a good time. Carol called it ‘playing in the sandbox,’ and I think that’s exactly what it was,” she shared. “Betty was just the perfect playmate. And I have to say this, she was incredibly professional. I don’t remember her ever not being prepared or ever messing up her lines.”
Lawrence and White worked together on the show Mama’s Family, which premiered in 1983 and ran for six seasons. White played Ellen Harper, the oldest child of Raytown matriarch Thelma Harper(Lawrence). They also worked together on The Carol Burnett Show and had been good friends for decades.
Tributes for Betty White continue to pour in from numerous social media posts from fans and celebrities remembering her fondly to people leaving flowers, cards, photos, and candles on Betty’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.