Remember Florida from ‘Good Times’? She suffered a tragic death 9 days after 78th birthday

- Celebritist has just learned from Biography that popular actress Esther Rolle sadly passed on just nine days after she clocked 78.

Esther Elizabeth Rolle was a Bahamian-American stage, film and television actress best known for her role as Florida Evans on the CBS television sitcom 'Maude' and its spin-off series 'Good Times'.

Born in Pompano Beach in 1953, Esther was the daughter of Bahamian immigrants Jonathan Rolle, a farmer, and Elizabeth Iris Rolle.

Her parents were both born and raised in Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas and moved to Florida later on.

Esther Rolle was the tenth of 18 children including fellow actresses Estelle Evans and Rosanna Carte.

Rolle graduated from Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Florida.

She initially studied at Spelman College in Atlanta before moving to New York City where she caught the acting bug.

Popularly called Florida for short, it was Esther Rolle's stellar performance in ‘Good Times’ that garnered her television's highest honor.

She won the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Special Emmy Award in 1979 for ‘Summer of My German Soldier’.

Unfortunately for the celebrated actress, she passed on at the age of seventy-eight, a short nine days after her birthday.

Her death was the culmination of a lifelong battle with diabetes which eventually caused health complications.

The actress and singer gave up the ghost in her home in Culver City, California.

Her body was later flown back to her hometown of Pompano Beach, Florida where she was finally laid to rest.

A devout member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Rolle requested that her funeral be held at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.

What are your thoughts on the life Esther Rolle led?

Let us know in your comments below.

Source:

Biography