99-year-old Betty White, who’s maternal family hails from Greece, passed away on December 31 just three weeks shy of her 100th birthday.
Betty’s death was confirmed by her friend and agent, Jeff Witjas. No specific cause was cited.
“I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much,” he told PEOPLE in a statement.
“I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.”
The Emmy Award-winning comic actress was a TV fixture for decades. She was best known for playing a man-hungry TV hostess on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s and a ditsy widow on The Golden Girls in the 1980s.
Speaking to People in an interview published on December 28, White said she felt “so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age.”
In the interview, Betty also shared her secrets to living a long life and encouraged everyone to “taste every moment.”
Prior to her death, White enjoyed a quiet life in Los Angeles playing crossword puzzles and card games. She also liked to watch animal documentaries, Jeopardy! and sports, particularly golf.
On January 17, fans can remember the star’s legacy with a special movie event called “Betty White: 100 Years Young – A Birthday Celebration.”
Source: People Magazine.
