R.I.P Mrs Beaver...

[Footy Chick]

America’s Mom Barbara Billingsly Dies at Age 96
Written By Steven Sokulski on Sunday, October 17th, 2010


Barbara Billingsley, best known as the ever-steady model of a mother on television’s “Leave It To Beaver,” has died at age 94, a family spokeswoman told the press Saturday.

The actress, with 36 films and television shows to her credit, spent much of her career embodied by the role of June Cleaver in the 1950s and 60s, as she served as onscreen mother to Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver, played by Jerry Mathers, and his brother Wally (Tony Dow). Off screen, Mathers recalls, “Barbara was a patient advisor and teacher,” calling the woman a lifetime mentor and adding that “she will be missed by all of her family, friends, fans and most especially by me.”

Following her iconic television role, Billingsley attracted a new fan base by way of the 1980s comedy “Airplane,” where she portrayed a jive-talking granny that carried on a fast-paced conversation in fluent street slang. Though the scene lasted only a few moments, it was a sharp departure from the dutiful wife and loving mother found in June Cleaver.

Before “Leave It To Beaver” was cancelled in 1963, Mrs. Cleaver and her husband Ward (Hugh Beaumont) dispensed pearls of wisdom and advice to their sons, passing their message onto the children of a generation. The television family embodied the perfect American family, and with it Billingsley forever became “America’s mom.”

[GWW]

I used to quite enjoy that show as a kid. RIP.