Jean Stapleton has passed away :(

[Summer Hathaway]

11. I remember an interview with Norman Lear

many, many years ago, where he talked about each of the characters in All In The Family.

He said that Edith represented the Christ-like figure in the show, a woman who actually lived the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount every day of her life.

A brilliant actress, Jean Stapleton captured that essence perfectly in her portrayal of Edith Bunker - a woman who was often cowed by her overbearing husband, often manipulated by her daughter and son-in-law, often challenged by a changing world in which long-held attitudes needed to be re-evaluated. And in the end, Edith always saw the truth of things, and those Sermon on the Mount principles were invariably applied to whatever situation she was met with.

While Ms. Stapleton consistently brought her many, many on-stage and on-screen characters to life with incredible perfection, her portrayal of Edith will always remain the crowning achievement in a long and successful career as an actress.

Godspeed, Jean - and thank you for making Edith a part of all of our families.