Noted TV actress Ghostley dead at 81

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Tony Award-winning actress Alice Ghostley, known for her roles on TV series like "Designing Women," died this week in Los Angeles at the age of 81.

Known in part for her role as Bernice Clifton on the popular CBS comedy series, Ghostley had been suffering from a series of strokes and colon cancer prior to her death this week, The Los Angeles Times said Saturday.

Institute of the American Musical president Miles Kreuger remembered first seeing the actress, who died Friday at her home, on Broadway in "Leonard Sillman's New Faces of 1952."

"There was nothing glamorous about her," he said. "She was rather plain and had a splendid singing voice, and the combination of the well-trained, splendid singing voice and this kind of dowdy homemaker character was so incongruous and so charming."

After winning a Tony Award for her role in "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window," Ghostley moved on to play the good witch Esmeralda on "Bewitched."

She even ventured into film, taking on roles in "The Graduate," "Grease," "Gator" and "To Kill A Mockingbird."

The Times said she is survived by her sister, Gladys.