Edwards Passes, Fonda Survives

Actor Tom Bosley, best known for portraying the gruff but loving father Howard Cunningham on Happy Days, died Oct. 19 from lung cancer. Several former cast members have described the actor as a father figure on and off the set. Bosley also appeared in theater productions, winning a Tony for his role in Fiorello!

Oscar-winning actress and fitness icon Jane Fonda revealed Nov. 11 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine checkup. She had surgery, and her doctor determined the cancer was noninvasive.

Actress Kim Novak has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her manager says the cancer was caught early by a routine mammogram, and the actress is expected to make a full recovery. Novak is best known for her role opposite Jimmy Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo.

Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre dimmed its marquee lights on Nov. 2 in memory of 11-year-old Broadway actress Shannon Tavarez, who died Nov. 1. Tavarez was diagnosed in April with acute myeloid leukemia, about six months after she won the part of Nala in the Broadway production of The Lion King.

Elizabeth Edwards, 61, died from breast cancer on Dec. 7. Initially diagnosed in 2004 with breast cancer that recurred in 2007 and metastasized, Edwards had become a symbol to those who live with metastatic disease. Author of two books and an advocate of health care reform, Edwards spoke openly about her hardships, including the death of her 16-year-old son, Wade.