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Alice Backes Citron, 83, actress of many TV shows

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wazzzy

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Mar 27, 2007, 5:40:26 AM3/27/07
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http://www.legacy.com/LATimes/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=86973891

Alice Backes Citron

CITRON , Alice Backes
Virginia Beach, VA - Alice Mayrine Backes Citron passed away
peacefully in her sleep on March 15, 2007, at Virginia Beach Estates
where she had been living since mid-October of last year.
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 17, 1923, she was a long-time
resident of the Hollywood area where she worked and enjoyed a far-
reaching and productive career as an actress - specializing in
dialects and character roles. She was a member of the Hollywood
Presbyterian Church.
She was the widow of Milton Citron who died in April of 1983. They
enjoyed some 20 years as husband and wife and were a great team in the
industry, as Milton was a film editor.
Alice was the first daughter of the late Lela and Charles Backes and
was predeceased by her younger sister, Lorraine in 2000. She is
survived by another younger sister, Virginia Baxter, and her four
children. Alice's nieces and nephew were deeply loved by her and she
doted on them and their activities: niece Carol Chamberlin and husband
Terry and their four children Holly, Nick, Tracy, and Andy of Mesilla,
New Mecixo - nephew Paul Baxter and his wife Carolyn and their
daughter, Amy of Virginia Beach, CA - niece Jean Creamer and husband
Kevin and their two daughters, Colette and Lela of Richmond, VA - and
niece Janet Rittenhouse and husband Jim and their two daughters, Katie
and Anna of Louisville, KY. Three-quarters of the family were together
this last Christmas with Alice and it was a most happy and memorable
time.
Alice came back to Virginia in October of 2006 to be closer to her
family who adored her - and many merry times together over the years
will be fondly remembered and cherished, amply saturated with great
humor and fun. She was one remarkable lady.
Alice's credits as an actress are many, many, many - too many to list
here. She worked with the "cream of the crop" in acting colleagues and
productions friends. She was highly regarded and received many
accolades in her work - which was considerable. Among some of the
known names were Debbie Reynolds, Susan Hayward, Glenn Ford, John
Forsythe with repeat performances on such shows as Columbo, Welcome
Back Kotter, Mayberry R.F.D., Dragnet, Gunsmoke , Alfred Hitchcock
Hour, The Andy Griffith Show, and literally hundreds more.
In addition to her active role in radio, movies and TV, she was also a
most prominent participant in many charities and industry roles -
having chaired and/or been on the board of AFTRA (American Federation
of Television and Radio Artists), SAG (Screen Actors' Guild), Theatre
West, Pioneer Broadcasters, UNICEF, WAIF, The Children's Fund and many
more with a focus on children's charities. At one of the GALA's she
charied is a photo of her with Bob Hope on one side and then Governor
Ronald Reagan on the other side.
A graduate of the University of Utah, Alice was Concert Mistress of
the University Symphony Orchestra of Utah, a highly gifted group of
musicians. At the Baccalaureate Service prior to her graduation, she
was selected and honored to play a violin solo at that service - a
gift to her family in attendance - as a surprise and delight as she
had kept it a secret. (She was really good at happy surprises!... all
her life.)
Following her graduation and some family time in Bozeman, Montana,
where the grandparents lived, Alice joined the WAVES and enjoyed that
experience, as well - driving "the brass" all over Chicago and San
Francisco... usually in a Jeep!
Everywhere she has been she has formed life-long friends - some dating
back to her kindergarten days - even today they are in touch.
Following the end of World War II, Alice started on her acting career
in Hollywood, and some six decades later, the respect and love for her
among her peers has never diminished.
Her love of music - classical, Broadway, choral and more - she kept
learning and educating herself in her many areas of interest including
the great artists and their masterpieces, theatre, wildlife welfare,
and the promotion of fairness and equality in the industry. She loved
to travel and did so extensively here and abroad.
The family thanks with full hearts the staff and caregivers at
Virginia Beach Estates, and also the Heartland folks, who knew Alice
and cared for her so lovingly. And also special thanks for their love
and loyalty to Alice go to Jeanine Anderson and neighbors Bruce
McPherson and Jay Gibson for their constant caring and cheerful visits
to Alice while she was still in California.
Alice's family and many friends in California will greatly miss her
cheerful aura, her bright conversations, her well-known wit and hummor
- and her compassion for all people.
A celebration of her life was held Sunday. Cremation arrangements by
the Neptune Society are being handled as Alice preferred, with her
ashes scattered over the Pacific.
Holloman - Brown Funeral Home handled the local arrangements.

Published in the Los Angeles Times on 3/27/2007.

Stephen Bowie

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Mar 27, 2007, 11:51:36 AM3/27/07
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Oh, that's a real shame. I had lunch with Alice at Musso & Frank in
the late '90s and she told me some great old-time Hollywood stories.
Very nice lady. She was a tall spinster type, ubiquitous in sitcoms
of the '60s. R.I.P.

Brad Ferguson

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Mar 27, 2007, 1:25:53 PM3/27/07
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In article <1175010696.6...@b75g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
Stephen Bowie <stephe...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Indeed. This pic's from an episode of "Bewitched":

http://members.tripod.com/~bewitchvic/betty73.jpg

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