News

Actions

Mary Tyler Moore dies at 80

Posted at 12:49 PM, Jan 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-26 13:15:22-05

Actress Mary Tyler Moore died Wednesday at the age of 80, her longtime representative Mara Buxbaum said.

“Today beloved icon Mary Tyler Moore passed away at the age of 80 in the company of friends and her loving husband of over 33 years, Dr. S. Robert Levine. A groundbreaking actress, producer, and passionate advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mary will be remembered as a fearless visionary who turned the world on with her smile,” Buxbaum said in a statement.

Moore is best known for her work on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (1961-1966) and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” (1970-1977).

Moore also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her work in the 1980 film “Ordinary People.”

When she was not acting on television or in the theater, she was a huge advocate for funding Type 1 diabetes research. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 33 years old.

Moore became the international chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in 1984 to raise money for a cure, and she went to Washington D.C. with JDRF’s Children’s Congress to push legislators to support funding.

The Utah/Idaho JDRF chapter released this statement regarding Moore’s death:

“Mary Tyler Moore won American hearts by portraying two famous television characters – Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. But for those of us at JDRF and in the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community, it was the real person whose life we cherish and whose passing we mourn today.

Mary Tyler Moore’s legacy is that of a woman who tirelessly committed herself to helping the millions with T1D. She was diagnosed with T1D in 1970 at age 33 and became the JDRF International Chairman in 1984. Over the past 30 years, Moore educated about and increased awareness of T1D around the world and raised millions of dollars for research that will one day lead to a cure. Among her efforts, Moore was actively involved in JDRF Children’s Congress, sitting alongside children diagnosed with T1D to share their stories with elected officials on Capitol Hill and demonstrate the importance of continued T1D research funding.

With Moore’s passing, our country has lost an advocate, a hero and a woman who “turned the world on with her smile” both on and off screen.”

Fox 13 news is a partner with the Utah/Idaho Juvenile Diabetes Research Chapter. The goal is to fund research for a cure for the millions of children and adults living with Type One Diabetes.

The JDRF created a website where fans can share their memories of Moore and her legacy, click here for details.

Reports indicated Moore was dealing with diabetes complications, including losing her eyesight.

She was surrounded by friends and family including her husband, Dr. S. Robert Levine. They were married for 33 years.