I just stumbled upon a piece of news that said Bea Arthur passed away over the weekend. How sad! She was a great woman, a feminist who broke the rules on tv, and gave America a lot to think about. I read she had cancer. Two sons, a sister, a couple of grandchildren left behind... and millions of fans.
I just found this on Neatorama and it's worth a look--
http://www.neatorama.com/2009/04/26/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-bea-arthur-a-tribute/