‘Brady Bunch’ Mom Florence Henderson Dies at 82

Florence Henderson, widely known for her role as The Brady Bunch matriarch Carol Brady, has died. She was 82.

Henderson died Thursday surrounded by friends and family, the actress’ manager Kayla Pressman said in a statement to the Associated Press.

Born in Dale, Indiana, to farmer Joseph Henderson and his wife Elizabeth, Henderson was the youngest of 10 children.

After graduating from Indiana’s St. Frances School in 1951, Henderson went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. In January 1956, she married Ira Bernstein, whom she shared four children with —Barbara, Joseph, Bob and Elizabeth — but later divorced in 1985.

Prior to scoring her leading role on the 1969 sitcom The Brady Bunch, which propelled her to international stardom, Henderson starred on the Broadway stage — Wish You Were Here (1952), Fanny (1954) and The Girl Who Came to Supper (1963) — and appeared in guest roles on multiples TV series and films, including being the first woman to host The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1962.

Henderson starred in every episode of all five seasons of the family comedy series, and later appeared as Carol Brady in spinoffs The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, The Brady Girls Get Married, The Brady Brides, The Bradys and The Brady Bunch Movie.

In 1987, Henderson wed Dr. John George Kappas, whom she remained married to up until his death in September 2002.

Other notable roles include The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, season 11 of Dancing with the Stars, and her hosting duties on Retirement Living TV’s The Florence Henderson Show from 2008 until her death. She earned her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996.

The actress is survived by her four children.