Tribute: Marcia Wallace

The brave, beautiful, and very funny actress Marcia Wallace has died at age 70 after a long battle with breast cancer.  I loved her as the receptionist on the old “Bob Newhart Show” and as a guest on 70’s game shows and talk shows, where her wit and impeccable comic timing made her a stand-out.  She won an Emmy for providing the voice of Mrs. Krabappel, the sarcastic teacher with the world’s most impossible fourth-grade student on “The Simpsons.”  When she was first diagnosed with cancer, she became a spokeswoman for those struggling with the disease and an advocate for education and research.  Her book, Don’t Look Back, We’re Not Going That Way is subtitled: “How I overcame a rocky childhood, a nervous breakdown, breast cancer, widowhood, fat, fire and menopausal motherhood and still manage to count my lucky chickens.” A lot of us counted her among our luckiest chickens, and she will be missed.