So Long, Sophia…
Hollywood is a sadder place today. I heard the news last night. The world is a more melancholy place without Estelle Getty, one of the four original Golden Girls.
She was very close to her 85th birthday (just 3 days shy, actually) and died yesterday morning around 5:30 a.m. from advanced dementia. I know for a fact that dementia is a horrible disease. It’s not quite as debilitating as Alzheimer’s, but it’s close. I watched what dementia did to my great grandmother in her final years. I’m just sad that Estelle had to endure the same thing – and for that matter, her family. It’s a horrible thing to watch as a loved one becomes less and less coherent.
Estelle Getty had several roles in movies over the years, but it was playing the feisty Sophia Petrillo on the Golden Girls that made her a household name. So long, Estelle. You might be gone, but Sophia will always be with us. You’ll be missed.
Rest in peace, dear friend.
