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Barbara Meek, who played Archie Bunker’s housekeeper on a spinoff of All in the Family, has died. She was 81.
The Trinity Repertory Company of Providence, R.I., announced her death on Saturday on its Facebook page. Meek appeared in more than 100 productions on its stages since she joined the Trinity Rep in 1968 with her late husband, Martin Molson. No other details of her death were immediately available.
The Detroit native also had a regular role as a recently widowed foster mother on Big Brother Jake, a 1990-94 Family Channel sitcom that starred fitness entrepreneur Jake Steinfeld, and she played the mom of the title character on the short-lived CBS series Melba, starring singer and actress Melba Moore.
Meek portrayed Ellen Canby on CBS’ Archie Bunker’s Place, which starred Carroll O’Connor and ran for four seasons after the end of All in the Family in 1979. Canby’s character was the sister of his next-door neighbor, and she helped Archie raise Stephanie (Danielle Brisebois), the young daughter of a family member.
Meek most recently appeared as as recently as Cicero in Trinity’s production of Julius Caesar.
Emmy-winning actress Viola Davis of How to Get Away With Murder reacted to Meek’s death on Twitter:
RIP Barbara Meek…a brilliant actress, an inspiring role model and one of my first examples of excellence. pic.twitter.com/mLUa5eoxsU
— Viola Davis (@violadavis) October 4, 2015
Twitter: @mikebarnes4
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