Actor Charlotte Rae, best known for her role as Mrs. Garrett, the patient housemother at a girls' school in the 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life, has died at age 92.Rae's publicist, Harlan Boll, said she died at her Los Angeles home on Sunday, according to various sources, including The Los Angeles Times. Boll did not give a cause of death, but Rae had been diagnosed with bone cancer last year and had suffered from pancreatic cancer for several years, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Rae's character, Edna Garrett, first appeared on NBC's Diff'rent Strokes, then went on to the spinoff, The Facts of Life. The popular show lasted for nine seasons, although Rae left after seven, explaining, "I needed some time for the rest of my life."As Hollywood Reporter notes, "Debuting in 1979, Facts of Life revolved around a group of teenage girls attending a private New York boarding school. Guiding them through the trials and tribulations of adolescence was Edna Garrett, their no-nonsense, but always understanding, housemother."The AP adds, "Edna Garrett provided kind if sometimes wry counsel to her charges (played by young co-stars including Lisa Whelchel, Nancy McKeon and Molly Ringwald) on a series that was praised for dealing with such sensitive issues of teenhood as sex, drug use, eating disorders and peer pressure."Rae was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for The Facts of Life in 1982.Although the role of Mrs. Garrett is what made her famous, Rae appeared as Woody Allen's mother in the film Bananas (1971). She also played on the 1960s sitcom Car 54, Where Are You? and was Molly the Mail Lady in early episodes of Sesame Street. She also starred in several Broadway musicals in the '50s and '60s and received two Tony nominations, first in 1966 as best actress in Pickwick and again in 1969 for best actress in Morning, Noon and Night.Rae recorded an album, Songs I Taught My Mother, in 1955. It was re-released in 2006.According to the LA Times:
Charlotte Rae, Who Played Mrs. Garrett On '80s Sitcom 'Facts Of Life,' Dies At 92
