Beloved actress Lynn Hamilton, who is known for her iconic roles as Donna Harris, Fred Sanford’s kindhearted fiancée and nurse on Sanford and Son, and Verdie Grant on The Waltons, has passed away. She was 95 years old.
Hamilton passed away peacefully at her home in Chicago of natural causes, according to a statement shared on Facebook by her former manager and publicist, Rev. Calvin Carson.
“Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment, motivating audiences across the globe through her work as a model, and as a stage, film, and television actress,” Carson said. “Her passing marks the end of an era, but her legacy will continue to inspire and uplift future generations.”
Lynn Hamilton’s Background and Career
Born April 25, 1930, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, and raised in Chicago, Hamilton was a trailblazer, graduating from the Goodman School of Drama as its sole Black actor at the time. She made her film debut in 1959’s Shadows and went on to build an extraordinary résumé in theater, film, and television.
As a member of President John F. Kennedy’s cultural exchange program, she performed internationally in The Miracle Worker and The Skin of Our Teeth.
Her long list of TV credits includes Gunsmoke, The Bill Cosby Show, Hawaii Five-O, Ironside, Roots: The Next Generations, Days of Our Lives (as Rita Carver), The Jesse Owens Story, The Golden Girls, 227, Moesha, Port Charles, NYPD Blue, The Practice, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Good Times (as Mad Dog’s mom), and many more. She also appeared in films such as Lady Sings the Blues, Roots II, Elvis and Me, and Leadbelly.
Soap fans fondly remember her as Vivian Potter, matriarch of the Marshall family, on the beloved NBC daytime drama Generations (1989–1991).
Hamilton was married to poet and playwright Frank Jenkins for 49 years, until his passing in 2014.
Thank you, Lynn Hamilton, for bringing decades of unforgettable performances into our homes and hearts. May you rest peacefully — your legacy will live on forever.
