Television mom of the modern era, Florence Henderson died Thursday, she was 82. Her epic role in "The Brady Bunch" can never be forgotten. Henderson's manager, Kayla Pressman, said Henderson died on Thanksgiving night surrounded by family and friends. She'd been hospitalized the day before
While she attended the taping of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" this Monday she looked absolutely fine. This season her once on-screen daughter Maureen McCormick of "Brady Bunch", remained a contestant on the show once. During the 1950s and 1960s, Henderson had the peak time of her career, but it was "The Brady Bunch" that she later became a household name and nailed her character so beautifully. The sitcom aired on ABC ran from 1969 to 1974, created by the talented Sherwood Schwartz.
The sitcom gave an idea of a typical G-rated, American family, at the time when America was going through a great disturbance. Henderson played the genial Carol Brady, the widow (or "lovely lady" in the words of the show's famous theme song) with three daughters who fell in love with a widower, Mike Brady, with three sons. Henderson's onscreen mother was always so happy, always ready to listen to her children's problems with sound advice and a warm snack.
Her role in the sitcom set the course for the rest of her career; it proved to be an important milestone. But later whenever, the Brady Bunch revival happened, she never tried to be a part of it. She rather traded on her hit Carol Brady persona to become a face for products ranging from Wesson Oil to Polident denture grip. Henderson was amongst the favorite ones and was well admired by her on-screen family. "Brady Bunch" has encountered for decades in syndication, ensuring that Henderson remained a bankable TV icon for decades.
