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Fairfield, Connecticut, Mary Tyler Moore, Grave, photos

Mary Tyler Moore, Grave, Fairfield, Connecticut, photo

Mary Tyler Moore (her real name) was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 29, 1936. Originally, Moore wanted a career as a dancer and made her professional debut in the late 1950's as a dancing elf in a series of commercials for Hot Point appliances. During the late 1950's and 1960-61, Moore made numerous television appearances but was still not widely recognized. In 1961, at the age of 24, Moore was cast in the role of Laura Petrie, the wife of Rob Petrie played by Dick Van Dyke in The Dick Van Dyke Show. It was a role that made Moore internationally famous but it nearly did not happen. More than fifty actresses auditioned for the role and Moore stated later that she nearly skipped the audition.

After The Dick Van Dyke Show ended in 1966, Moore starred in several movie roles, most notably in Thoroughly Modern Millie (along with Julie Andrews) in 1967 and Change of Habit (with Elvis Presley) in 1969.

In 1970, The Mary Tyler Moore Show debuted with Moore in the lead role of thirty year old Mary Richards (Moore was actually 34 years old at the time). The premise of the series was that Mary had broken off an engagement and had moved to Minneapolis to begin a new life and career. Despite applying for a job as a secretary, she is offered the role of associate producer of a bottom rated TV news program. The Mary Tyler Moore Show ran for a total of seven seasons with 168 episodes and became one of the most widely acclaimed and awarded TV series of all time.

After The Mary Tyler Moore Show ended in 1977, Moore again made appearances in several TV series, on Broadway and in movies. Her most acclaimed role during this period was in the 1980 movie, Ordinary People. Her final appearances were in 2011 and 2013 in two episodes of the TV series, Hot in Cleveland.

Mary Tyler Moore died in Greenwich, Connecticut on January 25, 2017 of cardiac arrest and pneumonia complications. Moore was 80 years old. Her remains are buried in Oak Lawn Cemetery, Fairfield, Connecticut. The grave is placed in the center of what had been twelve unused grave plots and framed by a low granite wall. At the head of the grave site is a five foot tall female angel figure carved of granite. As of April 2017, there is no tombstone marking the grave. News reports at the time of her burial stated that the cost of the grave site and angel figure came to about $200,000.

The granite angel at the grave of Mary Tyler Moore, Oak Lawn Cemetery, Fairfield, Connecticut

The granite angel at the grave of Mary Tyler Moore, Oak Lawn Cemetery, Fairfield, Connecticut.

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