Actress Charlotte Rae has passed away at the age of 92.
Rae spent 60 years of her life spreading joy tot he world as an actress, comedian, singer and dancer. She is probably most well known for her role as Mrs. Edna Garrett, the beloved housemother for an all-girls boarding school in the 1980s sitcom The Facts Of Life.
Rae revealed she had been suffering from bone cancer in April, 2017. “Last Monday, I found out I have bone cancer,” she said in a public statement last spring. “About seven years ago, I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer — which is a miracle that they found it because usually, it’s too late. My mother, sister, and my uncle died of pancreatic cancer. After six months of chemotherapy, I was cancer-free. I lost my hair, but I had beautiful wigs. Nobody ever knew. So now, at the age of 91, I have to make up my mind. I’m not in any pain right now. I’m feeling so terrific and so glad to be above ground. Now I have to figure out whether I want to go have treatment again or opt for life.”
“I love life,” she continued. “I’ve had a wonderful one already … I’ve had a great life, but I have so many wonderful things happening. I’d like to choose life. I’m grateful for the life I’ve already had.”
“At 91, every day is a birthday. [In my book] I want to tell everybody to celebrate every day, to savor the day and be good to yourself, love yourself, and then you can be good to others and be of service to others.”