Charlotte Rae: Lovable Star

KERI GUTEN COHEN
STORY DEVELOPMENT EDITOR

M

ost of you knew her as the
wise, lovable Mrs. Garrett,
housemother from the long-
running 1980s sitcom Facts of Life. To
me, she was Aunt Charlotte, my
mother’s sister.
Charlotte Rae was the middle of three
talented daughters born to Meyer and
Esther Lubotsky in Milwaukee. She
turned 92 this April 22, and she died
Aug. 5, 2018, peacefully in her condo in
Los Angeles surrounded by love.
You can read her obituary in the New
York Times, People, Entertainment Weekly,
etc. They talk of her roles on Broadway,
her Emmy and Tony nominations, her
early comedy acts and cabaret singing,
her work in films and TV, her alcoholism
and longtime sobriety, her pacemaker,
pancreatic cancer, bone cancer and
much more.
I want to share her as I remember her.
She almost always wore a scarf, usu-
ally red, around her neck, and often a
comfy running suit. She was short and
getting shorter. She loved asparagus. She
talked to my mom twice a day, some-
times more.
Though best known for her comedic

Charlotte Rae

roles, she wasn’t always funny nor was
she always “on.” She needed her naps and
her down time — and made sure she got
them — but she was up for fun, too. Her
zest for life was contagious.

She was a feminist, a fierce Democrat
and an ardent Zionist, who tried to
engage me in talking about Israeli poli-
tics. I’d enlist my more knowledgeable
husband for that role. Her famous
quivery voice would get strident and
those talks provided fuel for my hus-
band’s friendly imitations of her.
While she pursued her career ambi-
tiously, she was a devoted mother to her
sons, Andy and Larry. And she was very
connected to her sisters, the late Beverly
Levin, a trained opera singer, and my
mom, Miriam Guten, a composer and
pianist in Dallas. Together, they made a
formidable trio.
Once she and I tagged along on a trip
my parents took to Western Canada. We
didn’t work out as roommates because
of my snoring, but we bonded over our
mutual love of nature. This trip was dur-
ing the heyday of Facts of Life, and she
was approached constantly by fans. I
loved how she handled each respectfully,
then quietly said she was with her family
and returned to us.
Family was supremely important
to her. She devised a plan to spend
Thanksgivings together. The first year
we had a wonderful family meal at her
Brentwood home, where she loved her
lemon trees. That year, she was the

Grand Marshal in the Rose Bowl Parade
and we all got to hang out in the Green
Room with the other celebs beforehand.
Brushes with fame were fun.
For years, every family simchah
included a performance of parodies
roasting and toasting the honoree —
with sisters Charlotte and Beverly vying
for starring roles and all of us making up
the chorus. Mom directed and accompa-
nied us on the piano.
Aunt Charlotte loved to sing and had
incredible phrasing that came from the
heart. When she sang “Make Someone
Happy” at the rehearsal dinner for my
wedding, she had everyone in tears.
As she faced her heart problems and
cancers, I admired her bravery. She loved
life and filled it with friends, family, work
and more adventures.
I talked to her fairly often, but last saw
her in June when we all came to L.A.
for her granddaughter’s wedding. She
was weak and thin and sleepy, but that
special spark was still there. She ended
our last conversation with her usual, “I
love you.” Memories of her will surely be
a blessing. •

For photos and videos, go to thejewishnews.
com. Donations may be made to the Pancreatic
Cancer Action Network, https://bit.ly/2xYTunj.

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August 9 • 2018

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