Katherine Helmond, affable matriarch of ‘Soap’ and ‘Who’s the Boss?’ dies at 89

Katherine Helmond, the sitcom star whose memorable roles as ditzy matriarchs in “Soap,” “Who’s the Boss?” and “Coach” endeared her to audiences of all ages, has died. She was 89.

Helmond died Feb. 23 at home in Los Angeles from complications of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a statement Friday from her talent agency, APA.

“She was the love of my life,” her husband, David Christian, said Friday by email. “We spent 57 beautiful, wonderful, loving years together, which I will treasure forever. I’ve been with Katherine since I was 19 years old. The night she died, I saw that the moon was exactly half-full, just as I am now – half of what I’ve been my entire adult life.”

Helmond, who began her career in the 1950s, also starred in the films “Brazil” and “Time Bandits” and voiced Lizzie in Disney’s “Cars” franchise.

She was nominated for seven Emmy Awards and won two Golden Globe Awards for her character work as Jessica Tate on the 1970s sitcom “Soap” and as Mona Robinson and the 1980s comedy “Who’s the Boss?” She was nominated for another Emmy in 2002 for her guest role in “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

Helmond appeared in four Broadway productions and was nominated for a 1973 Tony Award for her role in “The Great God Brown.”