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The Mommy of "Family Circus" -- the kindly woman who was the mother of four rambunctious rugrats in every paper across the country -- and for millions of other kids all over the country, has passed away.
Thelma Keane, the inspiration for Mommy and the wife of the comic strip's creator, Bil Keane, died of Alzheimer's disease on Friday. Her husband's strip appears in 1,500 newspapers across the country.
"When the cartoon first appeared," said her husband, "she looked so much like Mommy that if she was in the supermarket pushing her cart around, people would come up to her and say, 'Aren't you the Mommy in 'Family Circus'?"
R.I.P.5/26/2008 10:03 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
"Family Circus" Mommy Dies at 82
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Reader Comments
(Page 1 of 2) | 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments1.
Ahh, Rest In Peace, Thel. What a nice Mommy she was. Sorry for your loss Mr. Keane and family.
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4.
Bless her heart. I have read "The Family Circus" since I was a child and loved it. God bless her and her family for so many years of such laughter.
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5.
You wil be greatly missed I looked fwd day to read the funny strip. You made being a kid then a mom funny. Heaven has a big treat comming.
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9.
I have never really been a cartoon person but, Family Circus was one of two that I always read! RIP
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10.
#7 Roger C - I guess tactfullness and respect wasn't something you learned as a child...
Go make fun of some other post instead of bashing people who have passed away and who brought humour to thousands of people on a daily basis.
Rest in Peace and my condolences to Mr. Keane and family
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11.
My deepest condolences to Mr. Keane and Family. I enjoyed each and every Family Circus cartoons I read... Those children were very fortunate to have such a loving mom (and dad, too)..
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12.
RIP....my thoughts are with the Keane family.
Roger C (#7)....you are a thoughtless, insensitive jerk.
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13.
My deepest condolences to Bil and the family, how sad.....I grew up with that comic strip, and I am lucky enough to have an autographed calander from Mr. Keane.
Poster #7 Roger: How disrepectful and uncalled for. You should be ashamed of yourself!!
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15.
This has been a great comic strip for all my family. I hope it continues for a long time to come, now as a lasting tribute to Thelma Keane.
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