Obituaries--Elizabeth Taylor

Hollywood great Elizabeth Taylor has died after suffering from congestive heart failure. She was 79 years old, which isn't that old, but considering the numerous health problems she had over the decades, was probably longer than expected.

Although she was a very good actress, turning in excellent performances in many films as well as starring in a few duds (mostly with Richard Burton), she was as noted for her numerous marriages and divorces and rather messy private life as her screen performances. Taylor was also known for her world-class jewelry collection and her humanitarian efforts, especially regarding AIDS.

I always liked her. She seemed to have such a great outlook on life.

I will never forget an interview her ex-husband Richard Burton gave with Today's Gene Shalit back in 1984, shortly before he died. Despite the divorce, he thought the world of his ex-wife.

AP obituary

Taylor had four children, ten grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

CBS report:



Her son Michael Wilding said it all:

"My mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor and love," her son Michael Wilding said in a statement. "Though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear, we will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world. Her remarkable body of work in film, her ongoing success as a businesswoman, and her brave and relentless advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, all make us all incredibly proud of what she accomplished. We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mom having lived in it. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts."

NYT obituary

The famous Taylor-Burton diamond (later sold at auction by Taylor to help build a Botswana hospital) was the star of this Here's Lucy episode.

Another video from the same episode:



After having looked at the pictures of her parents' final resting place over at Find A Grave this morning, I am not one bit surprised she will be interred alongside them at Westwood Memorial Park. There was an empty crypt next to theirs. It never made sense she would be buried next to ex-husband Richard Burton in Switzerland, who was married at the time of his death. It would have been too tacky on her part.

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