SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- The actress who was best known for her role as a ditzy waitress on the 1970s and ‘80s CBS sitcom Alice has died. Beth Howland was 74.
Her husband, actor Charles Kimbrough, tells The Associated Press that Howland died of lung cancer in Santa Monica, California, on Dec. 31. He says there was no funeral or memorial service and “that was her choice.”
Howland played naïve diner waitress Vera Louise Gorman on Alice for the nine-year run of the comedy that ended in 1985, earning four Golden Globe nominations. Her credits also include parts on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and The Love Boat.
Howland is also survived by a daughter from her previous marriage to actor Michael J. Pollard.
