(L-R) Actors James Yaegashi, Susan Kelechi Watson, Richard Thomas, Ann Guilbert, Jill Clayburgh, Matthew Morrison, Leslie Ayvazian and director Doug Hughes pose for a photo before the rehearsals of the Rounabout Theatre Company's Broadway production of 'A (Photo : Getty Images/Peter Kramer)
Ann Morgan Guilbert, beloved as the next-door neighbor on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and seen recently on CBS' comedy "Life in pieces," has died at the age of 87.
The actress passed away on Tuesday, June 14, in Los Angeles due to complications from cancer and on that same day, Guilbert's on-screen granddaughter, Nora Eckstein, took to Twitter to celebrate her life.
According to USA Today, Guilbert marked her first TV appearance in 1961 on "My Three Sons" with her recent TV appearances been "Getting On" and a guest shot on "Grey's Anatomy".
On Wednesday morning, Guilbert's Nanny co-star, Fran Drescher paid tribute to her onscreen grandmother with a series of tweets. "I feel so sad about Annie. She was brilliant as my Grandma Yetta. Such a sweet woman too," Drescher wrote and posted along with photos of Guilbert from the '90s sitcom. "Such a great actress! I thank you Annie. Thank you for all the laughs! May you be cracking them up in heaven!"
She added: "Grandma Yetta, I love you!"
Guilbert was a regular actress on the 1990s sitcom "The Nanny", and in the early 1960s, played Millie Helper, Laura Petrie's gabby pal, on the acclaimed "Van Dyke series". In 2010, she appeared in Nicole Holofcener's 2010 Sundance Film Festival selection, "Please Give."
The graduate of Stanford, had extensive theater credits, including the 2005 Broadway play, "A Naked Girl on the Appian Way," and productions of "The Matchmaker," Arsenic and Old Lace," "Waiting for Godot," "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Harvey."
She started her theater career back in 1950s in the Los Angeles musical variety cabaret act originated by composer Billy Barnes. The act toured throughout California. In 1959, "The Billy Barnes Revue" opened as an off-Broadway production in New York, then moved to Broadway.
Carl Reiner, one of its fans who was writer-producer remembered Guilbert at a time when he was assembling his cast for "The Dick Van Dyke Show," Fox News reported.
At Stanford University, she met the late producer-actor George Eckstein who she married and had two daughters, actress Hallie Todd ("Lizzie McGuire") and Eckstein, a writer, actress and acting teacher.
After her 1966 divorce, she married actor Guy Raymond, who passed away in 1997.
Guilbert is survived by her two daughters.
Watch a video of the actress' moments here:
