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Beloved TV Mom Florence Henderson Dies at 82

The actress passed away from heart failure Thursday.

Actress Florence Henderson, best known for her portrayal of beloved mother Carol Brady on The Brady Bunch, died on Thanksgiving day at the age of 82.

Her death was confirmed by David Brokaw, her publicist, who said she died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of heart failure.

Jason LaVeris, Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 26: Actress Florence Henderson attends the premiere of "Fifty Shades of Black" at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live on January 26, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

Before landing the iconic role of "America's Mom," Henderson made her mark in the theatre world in the 1950s and 60s, most famously in the Broadway Musical Fanny and in the national tours of Oklahoma! and The Sound of Music.

Stage work led to appearances on TV, notably as a guest on popular game shows Sing Along, Match Game and Password . She was also a frequent guest on The Tonight Show and became the first woman to be the show's guest host.

While making a film in Norway in 1969, Henderson was asked to appear in the pilot episode of new TV show The Brady Bunch, then billed as an unapologetically upbeat comedy about the merging of two families. Thankfully for us, she said yes, and would go on to star on the show for five years.

Hulton Archive, Getty Images

circa 1972: The Brady family, from the television series, 'The Brady Bunch'. Top row (left to right) Maureen McCormick, Florence Henderson, Barry Williams, Christopher Knight; bottom row: Eve Plumb, Mike Lookinland, Robert Reed and Susan Olsen. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Henderson played the sunny matriarch to the late actor Robert Reed's stern father. Together, the two led the Brady clan through its up and downs, all while maintaining a focus on love, acceptance and the importance of family.

Though the show faced some criticism for its avoidance of serious drama and politics, Henderson defended it by saying, “It was really a show that was seen through the eyes of a child and it was supposed to have a little soft glow about it.”

In the years following the end of the much loved series, Henderson took on a new role as an advocate for the LGBT community, especially once it became public knowledge that Reed was gay. Time and time again, she spoke out in support of her TV husband at a time when LGBT issues had yet to reach the mainstream.

"I think I was just speaking out because, you know, I grew up in a very large, very poor family," she once told us. "I know what it’s like to be rejected and discriminated against on that level and I think that I’ve always gravitated toward anyone that I feel is being hurt or not being accepted because of race, religion, sexual orientation – anything like that."

"I’m just so sorry that Robert didn’t live long enough to see this time," she continued. "He was such a great actor and such a great friend and I agonize for him because it was such a difficult time. Here he was the father of America. I can’t imagine the struggle and the strain and stress of living a life where you can’t be who you are. I’ve always had tremendous respect for him."

"I just think I love people and have great compassion for human beings," she said in a 2014 interview. "Who are we to judge anyone? It always came natural for me to love people."

Thank you for all your work, Ms. Henderson. You will be sorely missed.

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