A Lady For All Seasons
27 February 1932 - 23 March 2011
Elizabeth Taylor passed away today at Cedars Sinai after a long bout with congestive heart failure. She was one of the greatest of the ladies of the golden age of cinema, but even more she was a generous, loving woman who will be mourned by those who knew her well.
I have only one personal story about her, but it probably speaks to the woman's basic character. It was the height of the Eddie, and Liz scandal shortly after Eddie and Liz had married. They were passing through LAX on the way to somewhere and doing the glamorous passage through what were then wide open areas complete with baggage and dogs. I had stopped by to visit my aunt who worked at one of the magazine/book kiosks only to stand on the fringes as she handled the madhouse of passengers trying to pay for purchases while rushing for a plane.
Eddie Fisher rushed up with an armload of magazines demanding attention. Aunt Ruth simply continued taking customers in order while he staged a mini "do you know who I am" scene and then rushed off without paying. A few minutes later, Liz returned with the magazines, waited her turn in the thinning crowd and said, "I believe my husband failed to pay for these."
No wonder Richard Burton looked like a better option - both times.
In her later years she devoted herself to the AIDS crisis raising millions to find a cure. Condolences to her family and all who will cherish her memory.
