Whitney Blake was a talented and versatile actress, director, and producer who is best known for her role as Dorothy Baxter on the sitcom Hazel and as the co-creator of One Day at a Time. She passed away in 2002 at the age of 76 after a long battle with esophageal cancer. In this article, we will look at some of the photos that capture her life and career, and pay tribute to her legacy.
Early Life and Career
Whitney Blake was born as Nancy Ann Whitney on February 20, 1926, in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles. She was the first child of Martha Mae Whitney and Harry C. Whitney, a United States Secret Service agent who had guarded President Woodrow Wilson and other political officials. Blake and her younger brother traveled around the country extensively, during which time she attended 16 different schools. While attending Pasadena City College, she worked in small theater groups in the Los Angeles area. In the summer, she worked at her mother’s ice-cream stand in McMinnville, Oregon.
Blake gained acting experience with five years of work in little-theater productions. In 1953, she was in several productions at the Pasadena Playhouse. After her appearance in an amateur Hollywood production of The Women caught the attention of agent Sid Gold, she appeared on a number of television series, including Johnny Midnight, Sheriff of Cochise, State Trooper, and Richard Diamond, Private Detective. Her first television appearance was on NBC Matinee Theater. Blake was cast in My Gun Is Quick, the film version of a Mike Hammer novel by Mickey Spillane.
Hazel and One Day at a Time
Blake’s most prominent acting role was for the series Hazel as Dorothy Baxter, the mother of a family who hires a live-in maid named Hazel Burke (played by Shirley Booth). The show ran for five seasons from 1961 to 1966 on NBC and CBS, and was based on a comic strip by Ted Key. Blake received two Emmy nominations for her performance as Dorothy.
Blake also co-created and wrote the sitcom One Day at a Time with her third husband Allan Manings. The show followed the lives of a divorced mother (played by Bonnie Franklin) and her two teenage daughters (played by Valerie Bertinelli and Mackenzie Phillips) as they dealt with various issues such as dating, sexuality, feminism, and mental health. The show was inspired by Blake’s own experience as a single mother after her divorce from her first husband Tom Baxter, with whom she had three children, including actress Meredith Baxter. One Day at a Time ran for nine seasons from 1975 to 1984 on CBS, and won several awards, including Emmys and Golden Globes.
![Whitney Blake with Allan Manings and the cast of One Day at a Time]
Later Years and Death
Blake continued to work as an actress, director, and producer until the late 1990s. She appeared in several films and TV shows, such as The Love Boat, Gunsmoke, Murder She Wrote, and The Long Hot Summer. She also directed episodes of One Day at a Time, Alice, Benson, and The Facts of Life.
On Blake’s 76th birthday, her children took her and her husband Manings to dinner. Later that evening, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Seven months later, on September 28, 2002, she passed away at her home in Edgartown, Massachusetts. She experienced significant discomfort during her final months. Manings told Meredith, his stepdaughter, that the most challenging day was when he told Whitney that he had to accept hospice care for her when she realized that her condition was terminal. Eight years later, her husband died of the same disease.
Blake was cremated, and her family kept her ashes. She is survived by her three children, four stepchildren, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
![Whitney Blake with Meredith Baxter]
Conclusion
Whitney Blake was a remarkable woman who achieved success in various fields of entertainment. She was a talented actress who portrayed memorable characters on screen. She was also a creative producer who gave voice to women’s issues and stories through her shows. She was a loving mother who raised her children with courage and grace. She was a fighter who faced her illness with dignity and strength. She left behind a legacy of work that will continue to inspire generations of viewers.
Whitney Blake cause of death photos are not only images of sadness, but also of beauty, joy, and accomplishment. They are a tribute to a life well-lived.
