Jean Alexander

British actress noted for her performances on stage though television was her strongest medium. She recieved the Royal Television Award for Best Performance of 1984-85. After an initial job of librarian for five years, she toured with Adelphi Guild Theatre and worked in repertory for 11 years, with her first stage appearance in Sheppy, late July 1949. She appeared in A View from the Bridge, 27 April 1959 and joined the cast of Coronation Street in February 1964. Her comedy role of Hilda Ogden made her one of the nation's best loved actresses. Ogden's name became synonymous with a certain type of working-class woman, a gossip and busybody. Alexander left the series on 25 December 1987. She appeared as Auntie Wainwright in the long-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine from 1988 to 2010. Alexander never married and was known for intense privacy. Her autobiography, The Other Side of the Street: The Autobiography of Jean Alexander, was published in 1989. Alexander announced her retirement in 2012, two years after her last television appearance. Her acting career lasted for more than 60 years. She celebrated her 90th birthday on 11 October 2016, but was taken ill and died, at Southport Hospital, Merseyside, just three days later. Link to Wikipedia biography