Mary Tyler Moore, of New Rochelle's 'Laura Petrie' Fame, Dead At 80

GREENWICH, CT — Mary Tyler Moore, whose sunny smile and boundless optimism in various roles helped usher in the dawn of modern television and paved the way for female leading roles, passed away Wednesday at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut.

She died at 80 years old. For many fans, though, she will forever be remembered as the young woman struggling to make it in the "big city" of Minneapolis with the help of friend Rhoda Morgenstern and under the tutelage of her boss, Lou Grant.

"Today, beloved icon, Mary Tyler Moore, passed away at the age of 80 in the company of friends and her loving husband of over 33 years, Dr. S. Robert Levine," said Mara Buxaum, Moore's longtime representative. "... Mary will be remembered as a fearless visionary who turned the world on with her smile."

For a number of years, Moore had a farm in the Millbrook area where she lived with Levine. They split their time between Dutchess County and Manhattan.

Moore has battled diabetes and has had other health issues recently, according to TMZ.

She starred in "The Dick Van Dyke Show" from 1961 to 1966, winning an Emmy Award for her portrayal of Laura Petrie, the wife of Van Dyke's character, Rob Petrie. The television couple lived in New Rochelle, which is where writer/producer Carl Reiner actually lived.

Reiner renamed Bonny Meadow Road Bonny Meadow Lane for the fictional couple's address.

She became best known, though, for her role in the sitcom titled after her name, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which ran from 1970 to 1977. Set at the fictional WJM news room, where she portrayed single woman on her own, working as a fragile but resilient associate producer for the news show hosted by Ted Baxter, played by Ted Knight.

She won Golden Globe awards for "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "Mary Tyler Moore" along with another Golden Globe for the movie "Ordinary People." She also has six Primetime Emmy awards to her name along with many nominations, according to IMDB.

Van Dyke said in a 2015 interview that diabetes has taken its toll on Moore and that she "isn't well at all."

She was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 33, and the disease had left her nearly blind during the past few years, according to the Washington Post. She also had a benign tumor removed from the lining tissue of her brain in 2011 and has reportedly suffered from heart and kidney issues.

Moore has done much charity work during her life and was currently the international chairman of JDRF, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Written by Rich Scinto (Patch Staff). Additional reporting by Michael Woyton/Patch Staff.

Image via Bureau of Industrial Service/Wikipedia Commons.