Helmond also was well-known for her role on "Soap" from 1977-1981 and her recurring roles as Debra Barone's mother Lois Whelan on "Everybody Loves Raymond", as Doris Sherman on "Coach" and as Caroline Bellefleur on "True Blood."
Her former "Who's The Boss" castmates commented about her death and what she meant to them. "I was in love with her. She was such an influence on me. From being a single guy with a hit show in Hollywood, though my marriage and having kids - she was with me. No [matter] what problem I had, I could go to her. Very few people could match her. I'll miss her so terribly", said Tony Danza today, to Deadline.
Alyssa Milano paid tribute to Helmond via Twitter saying, "Katherine Helmond has passed away. My beautiful, kind, funny, gracious, compassionate, rock. You were an instrumental part of my life. You taught me to hold my head above the marsh! You taught me to do anything for a laugh! What an example you were! Rest In Peace, Katherine."
Born July 5, 1929, in Galveston, Texas, Helmond's interest in acting began in school and she went on to star in four Broadway shows in addition to her television career. She won a Tony Award for her performance in Eugene O'Neill's "The Great God Brown."
She married her husband, David Christian, in 1962 and remained married until her death. In a statement, he said, "She was the love of my life. We spent 57 beautiful, wonderful, loving years together, which I will treasure forever. I've been with Katherine since I was 19 years old. The night she died, I saw that the moon was exactly half-full, just as I am now… half of what I've been my entire adult life."
Along with her husband, Helmond is survived by her half-sister, Alice Parry, and many nieces and nephews.
