LOS ANGELES, Calif.– Comedic actress Betty White, who capped a career of more than 80 years by becoming America’s geriatric sweetheart after Emmy-winning roles on television sitcoms “The Golden Girls” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” died at her home here on Dec. 31, less than three weeks shy of her 100th birthday.

MSTies will recall that she was impersonated by Crow in a host segment in episode 502- HERCULES and was also mentioned in a host segment in episode 311- IT CONQUERED THE WORLD.

Variety has a nice retrospective.

Nashville – H. Jackson Brown Jr., author of several self-help books including “Life’s Little Instruction Book,” died at his home here on Nov. 30. He was 81.

“Life’s Little Instruction Book,” a collection of 511 reminders “on how to live a happy and rewarding life” that he wrote for his college-bound son, would spend more than two years on The New York Times bestseller list and was the first book to ever hold the #1 spot on the Times hardcover and paperback lists simultaneously.

MSTies will recall Joel reading passages to the bots (who reacted in horror) in a host segment in episode 419- THE REBEL SET.