On March 1, Bonnie Franklin died at the age of 69, according to the Associated Press via MSN.
Although this show business devotee broke into the mainstream by appearing in the Norman Lear sitcom, "One Day at a Time," Franklin was a life-long entertainer known as a triple threat because she could sing, dance, and act. In fact, during her career, she was nominated for prizes at the Emmys, the Tonys, and the Golden Globes.
Meanwhile, the diminutive entertainer's initial dancing stint came at an early age when she tapped under the tutelage of the celebrated Donald O'Connor during the 1950s. Franklin was a Broadway baby during her musical comedy turn in "Applause" and she also worked on the small screen in such big hits as 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Mr. Novak."
But it was her role as Ann Romano that elevated this talent to household name status. She broke ground as a single mother to two daughters, played by Valerie Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips. The program ran on CBS from 1975 until 1984, and her part and the way she played it seemed to resonate with single moms everywhere.
Bonnie Franklin was a left coast child, born in Santa Monica and bred in Beverly Hills where she attended Beverly Hills High School. She then went to Smith College in Massachusetts, but returned to California where she matriculated into UCLA.
Franklin enjoyed two long marriages, one to Ronald Sossi from 1967 to 1970 and the other to Marvin Minoff, from 1980 until the movie producer's death in 2009.
Bonnie sadly suffered from pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed in the early fall of 2012.
RIP, Bonnie Franklin, RIP.
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