Fog Blog Valerie Harper Dies Log:
VALERIE HARPER , WHO ROSE TO FAME PLAYING THE ROLE IN THE 70S OF RHODA MORGENSTERN ON THE 'MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW;.... THEN ON HER OWN SHOW....'RHODA'.....HAS DIED AT 80!.....Valerie Harper, who achieved fame as Rhoda on the classic sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and continued as the character in a popular spinoff series, has died after a long battle with cancer, her daughter Cristina Cacciotti and family friend Deanna Buskey confirmed to CNN.She was 80.Buskey, a friend of the family for more than 20 years, said the family was not "providing details at this time."Buskey, who first met Harper and her husband while working with them on her theater production of "All Under Heaven," helped launch a GoFundMe account for Harper's care earlier this summer.In July, Harper's husband, Tony Cacciotti, posted a message on Facebook saying he would not follow the advice of his wife's doctors and put her in hospice care, despite her worsening condition. He said he would "do my very best in making Val as comfortable as possible."Cristina Cacciotti said her mother died at 10:06 a.m. Friday.