On New Year’s Eve, Betty White, a beloved pioneer of early television, died of a stroke eighteen days before her hundredth birthday, leaving the country devastated. With a career spanning over seven decades, Betty White was known as one of the first women to appear on television and produce films.

“Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” said her agent and close friend Jeff Witjas in a statement to People Magazine. “I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much.”

Betty White was set to have a celebration on January 17, 2022, and, despite her death, the event will continue as planned, and will serve as a tribute. The celebration will take place in the form of a movie event called Betty White: 100 Years Young — A Birthday Celebration. The movie will screen in many theaters across the country. 

In the 1930s, Betty White began her television career as an assistant at a local news station. She gained her fame in 1953 when she produced and starred in Life with Elizabeth, a show about two newlyweds who keep unintentionally involving their neighbors and friends in their daily lives.  

Throughout her career, Betty White starred in over 40 movies and television shows. She is most known for her role as Rose Nylund in Golden Girls. Rose Nylund was naïve and clueless at times, but she was also one of the most loving and curious women on the show. 

Betty White received numerous awards for her work on Golden Girls, including a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and a TV Land Quintessential Non-Traditional Family Award. 

Aside from her career, in 1963, Betty White married Allen Ludden, who became her third husband. She was married to Allen Ludden for 18 years before he died after a long battle with stomach cancer. She said that Allen Ludden was the love of her life and she never remarried. 

“They were a lovely couple, and they were adorable together. She drove the car he gave her for as long as I can remember. She wore the same ring he gave her as long as I’ve known her. That was her love story,” said Vicki Lawrence, Betty White’s co-star on The Carol Burnett Show, to The Hollywood Reporter.  

Although Betty White’s fans feared her death, for years she maintained that she was “not at all” afraid of death. 

“I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again, ” said Jeff Witjas to People Magazine. 

According to Betty White’s assistant, who was with her when she passed, her last word was  ”Allen.”

Betty White lived a long, fulfilling life. Some of her best advice was “to make laughter a priority every single day.” She was an icon and will be missed dearly.