May 2 (UPI) -- Ruth Buzzi, the actress and comedian who played Gladys on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, died Thursday. She was 88.
Her family announced her death on Facebook, saying that Buzzi died while sleeping in her Texas home.
"She was in hospice care for several years with Alzheimer's disease," the statement reads. "...Her family requests donating to Alzheimer's research (www.alz.org) in lieu of flowers."
Buzzi previously had multiple strokes, her second husband, Kent Perkins, shared on social media in 2022.
Gladys was Buzzi's most iconic Laugh-In persona, though she portrayed several during her stint on the show. Gladys was known for hitting people with her purse.
Buzzi studied acting alongside Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman, starred in the 1976 film Freaky Friday and Sesame Street and was nominated for five Emmy awards. She took home a Golden Globe in 1973.
