Beth Howland, Who Play Vera On ‘Alice,’ Dies At 74

Beth Howland, best known for her character on the ’80s sitcom Alice, has died at the age of 74, it was revealed Wednesday.

Howland died of lung cancer on December 31, 2015 in Santa Monica, California, according to her husband, actor Charles Kimbrough. Kimbrough said there was no memorial service or funeral because “that was her [Howland] choice … She did not want to make a fuss.”

Howland landed a role at the age of 16 on hit Broadway show Bye Bye Birdie alongside Dick Van Dyke. The actress got her big break while playing the character, Vera Louise Gorman, on the CBS comedy sitcom Alice, where she played naive diner waitress. Howland received four Golden Globe nominations for her character in the nine-year sitcom. She appeared on other T.V. shows such as Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Murder, She Wrote.

Howland co-created Tiger Rose Productions with fellow actress Jennifer Warren. The production company’s HBO documentary, You Don’t Have To Die, won an Academy Award for Best Short-Subject documentary. The 1988 documentary was about a boy’s fight against cancer.

Howland has a daughter from her previous marriage to actor Michael J. Pollard.

Many Alice fans shared their condolences on Twitter.