In Memoriam 2023: Cindy Williams (1947–2023) Tribute List

Cindy Williams, American actress and producer, began her career in the 1970s starring on stage, film, and television for five decades. Best known for her iconic role as Shirley Feeney on the television sitcoms Happy Days, and Laverne & Shirley, Williams earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in 1978. Her film credits began with famed director George Cukor's Travels with My Aunt, then George Lucas' American Graffiti (earning a BAFTA nomination as Best Supporting Actress), and Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation. This tribute includes quotes, news articles, and a biographical family statement.
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  1. chant
    a repetitive song in which syllables are assigned to a tone
    Shirley Feeney, Laverne De Fazio: [first lines in opening sequence, in the style of a jump-rope or hopscotch chant] One, two, three, four! Five, six, seven, eight! Schlemiel! Shlimazl! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!
    – Laverne & Shirley
  2. beckon
    summon with a wave, nod, or some other gesture
    Shirley: A man with peanut butter beckons and off you go?!
    – Laverne & Shirley
  3. deceive
    cause someone to believe an untruth
    Shirley: Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.
    Laverne: Another poem.
    – Laverne & Shirley
  4. temple
    a place of worship
    Shirley: I treat my body like a temple, Laverne. You choose to treat yours like an amusement park.
    – Laverne & Shirley
  5. eternity
    time without end
    Shirley: Just think, Laverne. We get to spend eternity surrounded by the good and the pure!
    – Laverne & Shirley
  6. conceited
    having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
    Laurie Henderson: You think I care if you go off? You think I'm gonna crack up or something? Boy, are you conceited!
    – American Graffiti
  7. tease
    mock or make fun of playfully
    Ann: A lot of fun you are. You're supposed to tease me, give hints, make me guess, you know.
    – The Conversation
  8. upbeat
    pleasantly optimistic and cheerful
    "Laverne & Shirley," which ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983, starred Ms. Williams and Penny Marshall as two young single women working at a Milwaukee brewery in the 1950s. Ms. Williams played Shirley Feeney, an upbeat and demure complement to Ms. Marshall’s brash Laverne DeFazio. The show was a spinoff of the hugely popular sitcom "Happy Days."
    – The New York Times
  9. demure
    shy or modest, often in a playful or provocative way
    "Laverne & Shirley," which ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983, starred Ms. Williams and Penny Marshall as two young single women working at a Milwaukee brewery in the 1950s. Ms. Williams played Shirley Feeney, an upbeat and demure complement to Ms. Marshall’s brash Laverne DeFazio. The show was a spinoff of the hugely popular sitcom "Happy Days."
    – The New York Times
  10. reminiscent
    serving to bring to mind
    Laverne and Shirley’s high jinks were reminiscent of those of Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz on "I Love Lucy," but in this comedy pairing, Shirley was (usually) the calmer and dreamier of the two.
    – The New York Times
  11. dolly
    a wheeled handcart for moving heavy objects
    "So [on Laverne & Shirley] there are three cameras, you’ve got the stage, as though you are watching a play, and you have the cameras moving with us on dollies. Usually, [sitcom] cameras are set in place and stagnant, but our cameras were like Lucille Ball’s cameras."
    – The Hollywood Reporter
  12. blockbuster
    a very successful hit with widespread popularity and sales
    The pair starred as blue-collar roommates and best friends who work at a Milwaukee brewery. At its height, the show earned blockbuster ratings and Williams nabbed a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a comedy.
    – Vanity Fair
  13. acclaim
    praise vociferously
    Williams also had roles in acclaimed films "Travels with My Aunt" by George Cukor in 1972 and "The Conversation" from director Francis Ford Coppola in 1974.
    – CNN
  14. hilarious
    extremely funny; causing laughter
    "The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed," their [her children Zak and Emily Hudson] statement read. "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."
    – CNN
Created on Tue Feb 14 20:09:29 EST 2023 (updated Tue Feb 21 16:04:52 EST 2023)

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