"An Unmarried Woman" Jill Clayburgh Dies

Actress Jill Clayburgh died Friday night after a 21 year battle with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. She was surrounded by family at her home in Lakeville, Connecticut. Her husband said she dealt with the disease courageously, quietly and privately.

I was shocked to hear of her death. Like Marlo Thomas, Mary Tyler Moore, Natalie Wood, Diane Keaton and others, she was a role-model for me. Like the others, she portrayed, strong, intelligent, self-reliant, liberated women in a time when women were just coming out of their "little women in the kitchen" shells. Of course I had other role-models in life (e.g.: in school; in business; in the literary world, etc.) but those on screen were so much more visible and sometimes more outrageous and daring, always a step ahead of what we were seeing in daily life. They set the benchmark for me and for many women. We were finding our way in life and they allowed us to stretch our imaginations and reach for the stars.

Thank you Ms. Clayburgh. You will be missed!