Post by 2nd Chapter on Oct 22, 2005 13:59:17 GMT -5
Actress Isabel Sanford, best known as "Weezie," Louise Jefferson, on the long-running TV sitcom "The Jeffersons," recently died of natural causes in July of 2004. She was 86.
Sanford died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she had been hospitalized since July 4, said her publicist, Brad Lemack. Her daughter, Pamela Ruff, was at her side, he said.
Her health waned after she had preventive surgery on a neck artery 10 months ago, Lemack said. He did not give a cause of death.
Sanford co-starred with Sherman Hemsley from 1975 to 1985 on CBS' "The Jeffersons," a spin-off of the popular series “All in the Family,” in which she also appeared.
In 1981, Sanford became the first black woman to receive an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on “The Jeffersons.”
Sanford made her feature film debut in the 1967 classic, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” Recently, Sanford lent her voice to “The Simpsons” and appeared in commercial campaigns for Denny’s restaurants and retailer Old Navy.
Besides her daughter, Sanford is survived by two sons, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
