BETTY MCGUIRE DIES AGED 100

Betty McGuire, who played Kate Malone in the sitcom Growing Pains, died on 8 October at the Motion Picture & Television Fund retirement home in California. She was 100. Keith Gerchak, who held her power of attorney, confirmed that she died of natural causes. McGuire played the mother of Maggie, portrayed by Joanna Kerns, in seasons one and two and seasons four to seven. Leonardo DiCaprio also appeared in the series.

McGuire’s stage and screen career spanned 70 years. On Broadway, she appeared in the original productions of Plain and Fancy, Happy Hunting and Oh, Captain!. Her fellow performers included Ethel Merman, Barbara Cook, Bea Arthur and Tony Randall. She headlined as Mame at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and toured with productions of Oliver!, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Gypsy. Her television credits included Falcon Crest, Columbo, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, ER and Charlie’s Angels.

McGuire also played Sister Mary Quacker in Up in Smoke and a nurse in Coma. Later, she volunteered as a receptionist at the Coalition for Economic Survival legal clinic in Los Angeles, which supported low-income tenants facing eviction. At her retirement home, she hosted GabFest, a talk show in which she interviewed care staff about their lives and ambitions. Speaking about the show, McGuire said it made her “a happy camper”. She added: “To have the chance to do new things and different things at 92, can you think of anything better? I can’t.”