Honoring Our Golden Girl

Betty White was taken too soon. This perfect angel has not only had a long life, but also one chock-full of events. Betty White was born on January 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois. She was an American actress probably best known for her comedic work on numerous television sitcoms, including The Golden Girls. Despite having a hard life she always tried to look on the positive side of things saying, “It's your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don't take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find humor in our everyday lives. And sometimes it can be a lifesaver.” Her early career was anything but easy.

At the beginning of her career, Betty White started out on talk shows then moved to have her own show. She was known for her witty comebacks and no-shit attitude. When Betty White got backlash for letting a black man have screen time on her show, her response to the backlash and hate letters the station was receiving was a simple, "I'm sorry, but, you know, he stays'' then she gave him double the allotted time for the next airing, despite the possibility of her show being shut down. Betty White was not only the star of one successful sitcom but three, which was very rare for a comedian. She first started on the Mandy Tyler Moore Show, then went to where most of us recognize her from, The Golden Girls, and then was in Hot in Cleveland. She was a much-desired guest star on many shows and hosted a couple of talk shows like Saturday Night Live! Betty White was always known as a smiling face and a huge flirt. When asked why she does this, her response was, “I'm in the acting business. That's the ego business. When you get offers, the way things are going now you've gotta enjoy it. You've gotta take time to taste it, appreciate it, and make the most of it. Those offers aren't going to come around all the time.” But she was wrong, offers came for her to act until the very end.” Her life sadly came to an end just shy of her 100th birthday. Betty White died on December 31, 2021. She died peacefully in her sleep. Despite dying, her impact with those she worked with, charities she helped, and even her fans will continue to grow.

She had touched so many people while acting including this St. Louian who first was introduced to Betty White while watching The Golden Girls. “ When I came home from elementary school, the Golden Girls would be on. I would watch it every day and just laugh. Her portrayal of Rose Nyland just made me smile. That’s when I first fell in love with Betty White.” Jennifer Wilson loved Betty White so much that Jennifer has a jeep named Betty and has decked it out in all things Betty White. She is fond of Betty White because “she is such an advocate for any and all animals! She also just had the kindest heart and sweetest soul. She loved meeting people and she was so witty! I wish I had been able to meet her in person!” When asked why Betty White inspired her so much, she answered “her kindness and general regard for all human and animal kinds. She makes me want to be a better person, each and every day. WWBWD? [What would Betty White do?] That is how I want to live my life. I may not be able to inspire the world, but if I can inspire a few the way she did many, I’d be eternally happy.” Jennifer Wilson was not the only person Betty White’s kind spirit touched. Betty White was a huge fan of animals and donated quite a bit of time and money to numerous charities to help animals. If she was not an actress “I would have been a zookeeper.” Animals were not the only charities she backed. She supported a total of twenty-six charities including the American Heart Association, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Los Angeles Police Memorial Foundation, the Special Olympics, and so many more. She was a shining light in even the darkest of times and an inspiration we will remember forever.