BREAKING: Actress Cindy Williams, the optimistic Shirley of ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ has died

LA Times:

Cindy Williams, who played sweet, wide-eyed Shirley Feeney on the “Happy Days” spinoff “Laverne & Shirley,” has died. She was 75.

Williams died in Los Angeles on Wednesday after a brief illness, her children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said in a statement released Monday to the Associated Press through a family spokeswoman.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” the statement said. “Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”

---

Laverne & Shirley was a beloved comedy television series that ran for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, until May 10, 1983.

Williams, as Shirley Feeney, starred alongside Penny Marshall as Laverne DeFazio.  The pair were portrayed as 1950s roommates who worked on an assembly line at Milwaukee’s Shotz Brewery.

Marshall passed away on Dec. 17, 2018, also at the age of 75.

Tributes are pouring in on social media after the news of Williams death was announced.

Sad to hear the passing of Cindy Williams.

If there is an afterlife, may you and Penny be pouring a Shotz beer and Milk and Pepsi with Garry, David, Eddie and Phil. pic.twitter.com/MYERLOgZsG

— Danny Deraney (@DannyDeraney) January 31, 2023

Laverne & Shirley together again…Rest in Peace Cindy Williams… pic.twitter.com/vqOUcyMFO0

— Anita Oviedo (@anitao68) January 31, 2023

Actress Cindy Williams, who played Shirley on the popular sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” has died, her family says. She was 75. https://t.co/TyjLoLt5wi pic.twitter.com/0m61KNQyHH

— ABC News (@ABC) January 31, 2023

Oh man, we lost another one!

Cindy Williams, aka Shirley Feeney from Laverne and Shirley, has passed at 75.

RIP Cindy Williams. pic.twitter.com/1qxLQVUt6m

— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) January 31, 2023

Laverne and Shirley are both gone now…

Cindy Williams has passed away after a brief illness.

(1947 – 2023) pic.twitter.com/c2a6QdqD2D

— Hollywood Century (@HWCentury) January 31, 2023

Cindy Williams, the energetic actress who appeared in a pair of Oscar best picture nominees before starring as the idealistic Shirley Feeney on ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ has died. She was 75 https://t.co/ukRaHjlW31 pic.twitter.com/8jUA4Goz0X

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 31, 2023

Rest in peace, Cindy Williams, a.k.a. Shirley Feeney on Laverne & Shirley. All of us who grew up on your comedic talents are hugging our Boo Boo Kitty a little tighter tonight. #laverneandshirleyforever pic.twitter.com/ANvAkERiL7

— Brad Meltzer (@bradmeltzer) January 31, 2023

Cindy Williams, who played sweet, wide-eyed Shirley Feeney on the “Happy Days” spinoff “Laverne & Shirley,” has died. She was 75.
https://t.co/RIRUG8tbBE

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) January 31, 2023

To get more information about this article, please visit LA Times. To weigh in, leave a comment below.

The post BREAKING: Actress Cindy Williams, the optimistic Shirley of ‘Laverne & Shirley,’ has died appeared first on Dennis Michael Lynch.