An American icon and adored actress, Betty White, died on December 31st, 2021, just weeks before her one-hundredth birthday. 

Betty held the longest-running career for any woman in television prior to her death.  She had been in multiple shows over the past 8 decades, starting in 1939. She is most attributed to her role as Rose Nylund in “The Golden Girls,” which ran from 1985 to 1992. However, she has appeared in countless other films and TV shows such as “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in the 1970s and “Saturday Night Live” in 2010.

Jeff Witjas, White’s agent, confirmed that she died peacefully in her sleep, dismissing rumors that she died from her booster shot. Witjas told PEOPLE that, “People are saying her death was related to getting a booster shot three days earlier but that is not true. She died of natural causes. Her death should not be politicized — that is not the life she lived.”

Junior Roxanne Vasilopolous says she was most aware of White because of her role in Golden Girls. Though she was not super familiar with Betty White, Vasilopolous says it is, “definitely upsetting, especially because Betty White was so close to turning 100 years old.”

Sophomore Nick Mezza knew some of White’s work, but thought the most saddening part of her death was that America was losing such an icon. 

Betty White strived as an actress until the very end of her life. As she said in her book, If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t), “Everybody needs a passion. That’s what keeps life interesting. If you live without passion, you can go through life without leaving any footprints.”