In a post shared shortly before her death, Buzzi’s husband wrote that his wife “asked me to thank all of you for being so good to her for so many years. She wants you to know she probably had more fun doing those shows than you had watching them. Because of her health issues, [she] must withdraw from writing, but she will still be reading and enjoying your posts.” A statement on her Facebook page reads, “After a half-century as an entertainer, I am sincerely thanking you for the wonderful times!”
Ruth Buzzi was born in Westerly, Rhode Island in 1936, and began performing in musical and comedy revues as a college student, per Deadline. After moving to New York City, she worked in off Broadway productions and made her way into TV, appearing in shows like The Garry Moore Show, The Entertainers, The Monkees, and That Girl. In 1966, she was part of the original cast of Sweet Charity, her only role on Broadway. In 1967, she was cast on Laugh-In, where she delighted audiences with characters like Gladys Ormphby, Flicker Farkle, and Doris Swizzler. She appeared in every episode of the show’s run through its final season in 1973, the only cast member to do so.
In later years, she was a regular guest on Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts and was cast as the shopkeeper Ruthie on Sesame Street. She was also a voice actor who worked on shows like The Berenstein Bears, The Smurfs, The Addams Family, Darkwing Duck and more. Buzzi reportedly suffered a disabling stroke in 2022, but continued to interact with fans online and was still replying to fan mail earlier this year, per her Facebook. Buzzi is survived by husband Kent Perkins; in lieu of flowers, her family requests donating to Alzheimer’s research.
