Francine Beers
Francine Beers (November 26, 1924 – March 27, 2014) was an American radio, television, film and theatre actress. Her career spanned nearly six decades. Life and career. Beers was born in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Harry and Sadie Beers. Her father had two sisters, Rose and Sally. Sally appeared in vaudeville and in the Ziegfeld Follies. Harry Beers died when Francine was 15 years old. Francine and her mother moved in with Sadie's parents until Francine graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in 1942. After graduation, she worked for Young & Rubicam advertising, beginning in 1944  in their Radio and Television department. In 1964, she left Young and Rubicam to become an actress. She largely played character parts and supporting roles in radio, on stage, in soap operas and on television shows. Her roles included Judge Janis Silver ("Law and Order"), Sybil Gooley ("All in the Family"; a role also played by Jane Connell), and Bea Finster on "Kate & Allie". Before and after venturing into TV acting, she enjoyed a lengthy theatre career in the 1960s and 1970s, appearing in such plays as ""Cafe Crown"" (1964), "6 Rms Riv Vu" (1972; she also appeared in the  1974 TV film adaptation), Arthur Miller's "The American Clock" ("A Mural for Theatre") (1980), and William Alfred's "The Curse of an Aching Heart" in 1982. Beers continued to work as an actress until she retired in 2007. Her last noted role was as Mrs. Lefkowitz in "In Her Shoes" (2004). Death. Beers died on Thursday, March 27, 2014, aged 89, in her apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Awards. 1988: Helen Hayes Award, Washington D.C. "Light Up the Sky" - Arena Stage Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Resident Production.