Mary Tyler Moore Was 'Unrecognizable' & Blind in Her Final Years — Her Spouse Was by Her Side till Her Last Breath

Mary Tyler Moore had diabetes since she was 33 but developed even more health problems in her sunset years, making her blind and unrecognizable. In addition to losing her only son, she was unlucky in love and endured two divorces before finally meeting the love of her life, who cared for her until she took her last breath.

Mary Tyler Moore was a renowned actress who helped define a new vision of American womanhood in the active years of her life. Known mostly for her roles in "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," she advocated for the prevention of diabetes and fought for animal rights.

Born on December 29, 1936, Moore spent the first few years of her life in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood in New York City. Later, her family relocated to Flushing, Queens before moving to Los Angeles, California, when she was eight.

Moore would later become famous for her roles in two of the most influential shows of the 60s and 70s. She played the stylish Laura Petrie, the wife of Rob Petrie (played by Dick Van Dyke), in the show that portrayed the daily life and comical scenarios that the goofy and charming Rob often found himself in with his family and friends.

In the 70s, Moore appeared in the show with her name, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," where she portrayed the character of a thirty-something single woman who settles down in Minneapolis after she breaks up with her boyfriend. She is lucky enough to land a job as an associate producer for the evening news at WJM-TV, the area's lowest-rated station.

Despite her boss, Lou Grant's dislike of her, he often expects her to solve personal and newsroom problems. She lives in a modest studio apartment but later moves into a plush high-rise apartment before leaving WJM and Minneapolis for good.

For her two roles in the famed shows, the actress won numerous awards from various institutions including the Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, Peabody, Primetime Creative Arts Emmy, as well as the TV Land Groundbreaking Show Award, among many others. Her fame increased over the years, and she became a household name with legions of fans. But how did she begin her career?

Moore’s Acting Career — Where It All Began

By the time she bowed out of Hollywood, Moore had earned herself a place as one of the most popular actresses in TV history. However, her career was not always as an actress — at least not in the beginning. Her journey to stardom began with dancing in commercials in the mid-50s.

She also worked as a chorus dancer in several TV shows before finally landing her first acting gig as a glamorous secretary, Sam, in "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" in 1959.

After that, she landed guest roles as a beauty pageant contestant in "Johnny Staccato," played Joanne Sutton in "Bachelor Father," Brunette in "The Tab Hunter Show," and bagged several other roles in "77 Sunset Strip," "Lock-up," "Hawaiian Eye," and "Surfside."

That was, however, only the beginning of her rise to the top. She landed her first significant role in 1961, starring in the aviation drama "X-15," alongside Charles Bronson and David McLean, before landing her most notable role that same year when she starred in "The Dick Van Dyke Show," which won her three Emmys.

After the show ended in 1966, Moore switched to doing movie musicals such as the 1967 "Thoroughly Modern Millie," where she played an aspiring actress, and in the 1970 "Change of Habit." She also appeared in the 1969 TV thriller "Run A Crooked Mile" before starring in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in 1970, a show she also produced under her and her then-husband's company, MTM Enterprises.

The show became a cultural phenomenon, especially because it was ahead of its time and touched on the taboo topic of single women becoming successful in their workplaces. The role propelled her to immense fame and won her several awards.

After the show ended, Moore continued to make appearances in several other films, including 1978's "Mary," 1996's "New York News," 1980's "Whose Life is it Anyway?," and "Ordinary People."

Her other acting credits include "First, You Cry" in 1978, "Heartsounds" in 1984, "Finnegan Begin Again" in 1985, "Lincoln" in 1988, and "Stolen Babies" in 1993. She soon took a hiatus, only to return in 1996 with her appearance in "Flirting with Disaster."

Despite her immense success in film, Moore had various challenges ranging from health to troubles in her personal life. She married her first husband, Richard Meeker, in 1955 and welcomed her only son Richard in 1956. Unfortunately, the marriage was short-lived, and the pair split soon after.

And while she took the heartbreak in stride and even began making progress in her career, her son struggled. He had not only lost his father in the divorce, but his mother was working so hard at her job that they did not get to spend enough time together. Soon, he was having trouble in school.

Luckily for Moore, she soon found love with TV executive Grant Tinker, who she married in 1962. Their union lasted an impressive 19 years before they went their separate ways in 1981. Besides the failure of her union, the actress also lost her son in 1980 after he died from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound. Moore said of her son's death:

"I still feel as if I weren't a good enough mother. I didn't break any rules. I didn't cause my son any pain. But I did bring to my life some of my father, who was very controlling and very remote. I was working a lot. I wasn't there enough."

Her problems were, however, far from over. Following her divorce from Tinker, Moore started drinking. She said that she would get through her day just fine and even went on to accomplish a lot. However, she would drink to eliminate all her frustrations and problems.

Moore Found Love Again After Two Divorces

Everything appeared to go wrong for Moore. Her marriage didn't succeed, and then she had to deal with her parent's health scare. However, the silver lining came when as a result of those events, she met Dr. Robert Levine, the man she would marry and spend the rest of her days with.

Moore and Levine met when the 15-years-younger cardiologist treated Moore's mother in New York City during a house call one weekend. The pair hit it off and married on November 23, 1983, at the Pierre Hotel in New York City.

Sadly, her addiction demons were still alive despite finally finding marital happiness. She struggled with the vice for a while after walking down the aisle with Levine, but eventually, in September 1984, she checked into the Betty Ford Clinic for rehabilitation.

While she checked into the clinic for her alcohol dependency, her health was also a significant concern. The actress had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1969, aged 33. She once confessed during an interview that her blood sugar levels were too high and that the doctors were surprised she could still walk around.

Despite her numerous struggles, what stood out for Moore over the years was the support that her husband gave her and how involved he was in her struggle to balance diabetes with alcohol. A doctor himself, Levine had also been the one to suggest that perhaps her drinking was affecting her diabetes.

He supported her career and became part of her everyday life, even accompanying her to events. The producer of "Whose Life Is It Anyways?" Emanuel Azenberg would say of Moore and Levine's relationship:

"He's genuinely caring. There's no question they're in love. They both have too much integrity to stay with the relationship if they weren't."

Fortunately for the "Just Between Friends" actress, her stint at the Betty Ford clinic was successful, and she did not turn to the bottle again until she breathed her last in 2017.

Moore’s Health Troubles and Death

Despite beating alcoholism, getting over the accidental death of her son, and even finding love after a mirage of unsuccessful unions, Moore's later years were marred with health troubles.

In 2011, the actress underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor on the lining of her brain. Then in 2012, she disclosed that she was having trouble with one of her eyes. People magazine reported that by the time Moore made her final TV appearance in 2013, during a reunion of the "Hot in Cleveland" cast, she was nearly blind due to the effects of her diabetes.

In 2015, Dick Van Dyke disclosed to Larry King that he had communicated with Levine but talking or communicating with Moore was nearly impossible.

Moore's fans who had enjoyed her success in the 60s and 70s knew her face like the back of their hands, but many said she was "unrecognizable" when she appeared at the opening night of the Broadway Show Follies at the Marquis Theatre in 2011.

The actress sported a swollen and shiny face, with speculations doing rounds that she had had plastic surgery done on her face. However, a source said that Moore's face only looked swollen because she had suffered a nasty fall after tripping over her Golden Retriever dog.

Around May 2012, Moore's marriage seemed troubled after multiple 911 calls were made from her Connecticut estate. Many speculated that the alleged domestic incidents were a sign that her marriage was on the verge of collapse.

However, reports later confirmed that the unrest resulted from the effects of the medication from her brain surgery, which often left her hallucinating and confused.

In 2013, fans who saw her at the Los Angeles International Airport said she seemed different from the star that had stolen the show all those years back. Even so, one thing that became constant was her husband's support throughout her suffering.

Levine stayed by his wife's side, cheering her up whenever she was sad and depressed, which helped her live a happy life, despite the challenges. Sadly, the actress breathed her last on January 25, 2017, surrounded by her friends and her husband of 33 years. She was 80.

A source told People that the visionary actress was hospitalized with pneumonia resulting from her diabetes and had been placed on a ventilator. Unfortunately, she did not make it out alive. Carl Reiner, the creator of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" said he spoke to Levine days before the "Mary and Rhoda" actress died and told ET:

"I remember telling him, 'She may not hear you, but whisper in her ear that it's OK to go. You can go.'"

Reiner recalls how sad it was when he had walked toward her a few years before her demise and noticed that she did not recognize him. Only after he spoke to her did her face light up, and he understood that she could not see. She had lost practically all her eyesight.

He disclosed that Moore's final years were spent at home with hospice people around. She could not speak nor see. He said everyone around the celebrated actress knew she did not have long to live, but even so, her death still shocked him and possibly others who idolized her.

Moore's demise was a devastating loss for Levine, and he spoke out after her death, laden with all the fond memories of their life together and grieving the loss of his love, light, and life. He shared:

"The emptiness I feel without her with me is without bottom. She was a force of nature who fiercely defended her autonomy even as her health was failing."

Despite his grief, Levine said that as long as people still talk and share stories of Moore, the actress will remain forever in their hearts, and her light will never dim. The rest of the world remembers her as a fearless visionary who lit up the world with her smile.