Best known for her unforgettable run on the hit NBC sketch comedy show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, Ruth died peacefully in her sleep on Thursday while in hospice care at her home in Texas. The news was shared Friday morning through her official Facebook page.
Ruth had been living with Alzheimer’s since 2012 and suffered a debilitating stroke in 2022. Her husband, Kent Perkins, had been open about her declining health in recent years.
Just a day before announcing her passing, Kent shared a heartfelt message from Ruth to her fans. “She wants you to know she probably had more fun doing those shows than you had watching them,” he wrote, adding that due to her condition, she wouldn’t be posting anymore but would still enjoy seeing photos and memories shared by fans.
Ruth’s career began at just 19 years old and spanned decades, with standout performances across Broadway, television, and film. While she made memorable appearances on shows like The Carol Burnett Show, Days of Our Lives, and voiced characters in Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Berenstain Bears, and The Pink Panther, her role as the quirky Gladys Ormphby on Laugh-In cemented her status as a comedy icon.
Her final acting credit came in 2021’s psychological drama One Month Out, a project she came out of retirement for, working alongside her husband and director John Schneider.
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