Lois Hamilton

Her body was returned to the United States for interrment in the Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood, California. Harper was born in Suffern, New York. Following an automobile accident, in which she suffered severe injuries, she became addicted to painkillers that ended with her taking her own life through an overdose of sleeping pills in 1999. Harper has worked almost exclusively in television, and has also had roles in made-for-TV-movies and guest spots on a number of series, including Sex and the City. Beyond these activities, her favorite pastime was flying, having obtained her pilot's license and purchasing a 1936 German WWII Bi-plane. (It was renamed Valerie's Family in 1987 and later The Hogan Family after Harper left the series and was replaced by Sandy Duncan). Multi-talented, she also wrote the book Move Over Tarzan that was a woman's guide on how to compete successfully in a business world dominated by men. She also played family matriarch Valerie Hogan on the 1980s sitcom Valerie.

Despite her busy career, she became an accomplished sculptress and painter, her works on display at a number of one-woman shows in Los Angeles. Harper won four Emmy awards and a Golden Globe for her work as Rhoda Morgenstern on both series. Her widely publicized image led to acting jobs and, under the name Lois Hamilton or Lois Areno, she appeared in several Hollywood films as well as on television shows including many popular series such as the "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "Three's Company.". Harper is best known for her portrayal of the wise-cracking yet vulnerable Rhoda Morgenstern on two CBS television sitcoms of the 1970s: The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off Rhoda, in which she played the title role. Although she earned degrees in Psychology and Fine Arts, and wanted to pursue her interest in the arts, her looks brought an opportunity with the Ford Modeling Agency where she became one of its top models during the 1970s. Valerie Harper (born August 22, 1940) is an American actress. Aurino and studied at Temple University in her native Philadelphia before going on to the University of Florence in Florence, Italy.

A descendant of Italian nobility, she was born Lois I. Lois Hamilton, born October 14, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – died December 23, 1999 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was an accomplished model, author, actress, artist, and aviatrix.