Florence Henderson, ‘The Brady Bunch’ mom, dies

In this May 2015 photo, actress Florence Henderson spoke during the Alzheimer's Association, Orange County's 9th annual Visionary Women Luncheon at Rancho Las Lomas in Silverado, Calif. Henderson, the wholesome actress who went from Broadway star to television icon when she became Carol Brady, the ever-cheerful matriarch of "The Brady Bunch," has died, her manager and her publicist said. She was 82. Henderson died Thursday night, Nov. 24, 2016, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, after being hospitalized the day before, said her publicist, David Brokaw. (Nick Agro/The Orange County Register/SCNG via AP) In this May 2015 photo, actress Florence Henderson spoke during the Alzheimer's Association, Orange County's 9th annual Visionary Women Luncheon at Rancho Las Lomas in Silverado, Calif. Henderson, the wholesome actress who went from Broadway star to television icon when she became Carol Brady, the ever-cheerful matriarch of "The Brady Bunch," has died, her manager and her publicist said. She was 82. Henderson died Thursday night, Nov. 24, 2016, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, after being hospitalized the day before, said her publicist, David Brokaw. (Nick Agro/The Orange County Register/SCNG via AP)

By Associated Press November 25, 2016 6 min read

LOS ANGELES – Florence Henderson, who went from Broadway star to become one of America’s most beloved television moms in “The Brady Bunch,” has died. She was 82.

Henderson died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Thursday night, a day after she was hospitalized, said her publicist, David Brokaw. Henderson had suffered heart failure, her manager Kayla Pressman said in a statement.

Family and friends had surrounded Henderson’s hospital bedside, Pressman said.

On the surface, “The Brady Bunch” with Henderson as its ever-cheerful matriarch Carol Brady resembled just another TV sitcom about a family living in suburban America and getting into a different wacky situation each week.

But well after it ended its initial run in 1974, the show resonated with audiences, and it returned to television in various forms again and again, including “The Brady Bunch Hour” in 1977, “The Brady Brides” in 1981 and “The Bradys” in 1990. It was also seen endlessly in reruns.