It happens every few months. You’re scrolling through your feed, and a nostalgic photo of a woman in a hairnet wielding a lethal handbag pops up. Then comes the question that starts trending all over again: did ruth buzzi die?
The short answer is yes. Ruth Buzzi passed away on May 1, 2025. She was 88 years old.
Honestly, the news hit fans pretty hard, even though she had been out of the spotlight for a bit. She didn't just "go away"; she left behind a legacy of laughter that defined an entire era of television. If you grew up watching Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, she was basically the glue holding the chaos together. Seeing the headlines about her death felt like the end of a very specific, very funny chapter of Hollywood history.
The Final Years in Texas
Ruth spent her final years far from the glitz of Los Angeles. She and her husband, Kent Perkins, lived on a massive 600-acre ranch near Stephenville, Texas. It wasn't some quiet, boring retirement, though. They were avid car collectors, filling their space with beautiful post-war English vehicles like Rolls-Royces and Bentleys.
But things got tough toward the end.
In 2022, her husband shared some heartbreaking news on Facebook. Ruth had suffered a series of "devastating strokes." For a woman who spent her life making people move and laugh, being bedridden was a cruel twist of fate. Yet, even then, Kent mentioned she hadn't lost her spirit. She was still "aware" and "not in pain," reportedly smiling when he read her messages from fans.
She also lived with Alzheimer’s disease for over a decade. It’s a long, slow road, and by the time she entered hospice care, she had already retired from the industry she helped build. She died peacefully in her sleep at her home, surrounded by the Texas landscape she had grown to love.
Why We Still Google "Did Ruth Buzzi Die"
Why does this question keep popping up? Part of it is because Ruth was such a staple of "Comfort TV." When someone is that present in your living room for decades—whether it’s on Laugh-In, Sesame Street, or the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts—it’s hard to imagine them actually being gone.
The Gladys Ormphby Factor
You can't talk about Ruth Buzzi without talking about Gladys Ormphby. You know the one. The frumpy spinster with the brown hairnet and the sweater that looked like it had seen better days.
- The Purse: That handbag wasn't just a prop; it was a weapon.
- The Target: Usually the poor, unsuspecting Tyrone F. Horneigh (played by Arte Johnson).
- The Impact: She turned a "frumpy" character into a powerhouse of physical comedy.
She was so iconic as Gladys that she even brought the character back for the Emmy Awards in 2008. People loved that character because she was fearless. Ruth wasn't afraid to look "ugly" or "ridiculous" for a laugh, which is something a lot of modern performers still struggle with.
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A Career That Was More Than Just One Character
While Gladys made her a household name, Ruth Buzzi was a powerhouse across the board. She was a classically trained singer and actress who got her start in New York. She was actually in the original Broadway cast of Sweet Charity with Gwen Verdon!
Think about that for a second.
She went from high-level musical theater to being the woman who got hit with a bucket of water on national TV. That takes range. She also voiced characters in The Smurfs, Pound Puppies, and The Berenstain Bears. If you were a kid in the 80s or 90s, you probably heard her voice every Saturday morning without even realizing it.
What Most People Get Wrong
One of the biggest misconceptions is that she was "just" a sketch comedian. In reality, she was one of the most hardworking voice actors and guest stars in the business. She had over 200 television appearances. She won a Golden Globe. She was nominated for five Emmys. She wasn't just a funny face; she was an industry titan who happened to be hilarious.
How the World Said Goodbye
When the news broke in May 2025, the tributes weren't just from fans. They were from fellow comedians who looked up to her. Her husband, Kent, put it best when he said she probably had more fun doing those shows than we had watching them.
That’s a rare thing to hear about a star.
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Usually, you hear stories about how miserable or difficult someone was behind the scenes. With Ruth, it was always about the joy of the work. She was active on social media (specifically Twitter/X) almost right up until the end, posting jokes and keeping her fans engaged with her sharp, dry wit. One of her final posts joked about "carbon dating" for people her age. She never lost her timing.
What You Can Do To Honor Her Legacy
If you're feeling nostalgic after finding out the truth about Ruth Buzzi's passing, don't just sit there. The best way to remember a comedian is to actually watch the work.
- Watch the Roasts: Go find the old Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts on YouTube. Her timing against people like Muhammad Ali or Frank Sinatra is legendary.
- Donate: Her family requested that, instead of flowers, fans make donations to the Alzheimer’s Association. It's a way to fight the disease that took her from us.
- Share a Laugh: Honestly, just go find a clip of her and Arte Johnson on a park bench. It’s simple, it’s clean, and it still works sixty years later.
Ruth Buzzi was a pioneer for women in comedy. She showed that you didn't have to be the "pretty girl" or the "straight man" to be a star. You could be the one with the hairnet and the purse, and you could own the whole room.
She’s gone now, but every time someone asks did ruth buzzi die, it's a reminder that people are still thinking about her. And for a performer, that’s the real win.
Keep the hairnet in your heart.
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Next Steps for Fans: Check out the official archives of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In to see Ruth in her prime, or visit the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, where some of her beloved classic cars were donated for public display.