It’s one of those headlines that hits you right in the childhood. You probably remember her best as Gladys Ormphby—the frumpy, hairnet-wearing spinster who swung her purse like a medieval mace. Honestly, Ruth Buzzi was a titan of comedy at a time when women were often relegated to being the "straight man" to male leads. When news broke that we’d lost her, the internet went into a bit of a tailspin. People wanted to know the specifics: what exactly was the Ruth Buzzi cause of death, and had she been suffering for a long time?
The Reality of Her Final Years
Ruth Buzzi passed away on May 1, 2025. She was 88. She didn't die in some flashy Hollywood hospital surrounded by paparazzi. Instead, she was at home on her massive 600-acre cattle ranch in Stephenville, Texas.
Basically, the official Ruth Buzzi cause of death was complications from Alzheimer’s disease. It wasn't a sudden, shocking event, but rather the end of a very long, very brave battle. She had actually been diagnosed with the disease way back in 2012. Think about that for a second. She lived with that diagnosis for over a decade, mostly out of the public eye, tucked away in the Texas hill country with her husband, Kent Perkins.
A Double Health Crisis
While Alzheimer's was the primary long-term issue, things got significantly harder for her in July 2022. Her husband shared on Facebook that Ruth had suffered a series of "devastating strokes."
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These weren't minor episodes. The strokes left her bedridden and incapacitated for a long stretch. It’s kinda heartbreaking to imagine someone so high-energy and physically funny being confined like that. But even then, her husband mentioned she kept her sense of humor.
She reportedly joked on social media—back when she still could—that she had "the other kind" of stroke of luck. That’s vintage Buzzi. Even when her body was failing, that sharp, Rhode Island wit was still firing.
The Timeline of Her Health Decline:
- 2012: Initial Alzheimer’s diagnosis. She kept this relatively private for years while continuing to engage with fans on social media.
- 2021: Official retirement from acting and public appearances.
- 2022: A series of major strokes occurred in July, which led to her becoming bedridden.
- 2023-2025: Spent her final years in hospice care at her ranch.
- May 1, 2025: Passed away peacefully in her sleep.
Why We Still Talk About Gladys
You can't talk about her death without talking about why her life mattered so much. Most people today don't realize how revolutionary Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In was. It was chaotic. It was fast. And Ruth was the glue.
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Her character, Gladys, wasn't just a funny costume. Buzzi once explained that Gladys represented the "overlooked and downtrodden." When she whacked people with that purse, she was hitting back for everyone who felt marginalized. It’s probably why she won a Golden Globe for it. She wasn't just "the funny lady"; she was a powerhouse who held her own against icons like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. In fact, she famously clobbered Sinatra with her purse during a roast. Not many people could get away with that.
Misconceptions About Her Passing
There were a few rumors floating around before she actually passed. Because she had been out of the spotlight for a while, "death hoaxes" popped up a couple of times between 2022 and 2024.
People saw the news about her strokes and assumed the worst immediately. It’s a common thing with older celebs. But she fought for nearly three years after those strokes. Her husband was incredibly transparent on Facebook, which helped kill off some of the crazier internet rumors. He made it clear that while she was "incapacitated," she wasn't in pain and was aware of the love being sent her way.
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Honoring the Legacy
If you want to honor her, her family was pretty specific about it. They didn't want a bunch of flowers rotting on a grave. They asked for donations to the Alzheimer’s Association.
It’s a practical request for a woman who lived a very practical life after she left Hollywood. She and Kent moved to Texas in 2003 because they loved the ranch life and collecting vintage cars. She lived a full 88 years, and while the Ruth Buzzi cause of death was a tough disease, her life was anything but sad.
She reportedly told her fans, through her husband, that she "probably had more fun doing those shows than you had watching them."
How to support the causes she cared about:
- Donate to Alzheimer’s Research: Support the search for a cure at alz.org.
- Animal Welfare: Ruth was a huge supporter of the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch in Texas.
- Watch the Classics: Go back and watch the "Gladys and Tyrone" sketches. They still hold up.
If you’re looking for a way to process the loss of a comedy icon, the best thing you can do is share a clip of her best work. She spent six decades trying to make people laugh; it’s only right that we keep the laughter going even after she's gone.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you're interested in the history of 1960s comedy, you might want to look into the archives of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In on streaming platforms like Tubi or Prime Video. Seeing Ruth Buzzi in her prime is the best way to understand why her loss was felt so deeply by the entertainment community. You can also visit the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, where some of her and her husband's rare car collection was donated.