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Maureen McCormick, Barry Williams, And The Rest Of The ‘Brady Bunch’ Kids React To The Death Of Florence Henderson

By Victoria Miller
Published on: 08:53 PST, Nov 25, 2016

Maureen McCormick is paying tribute to her TV mom and lifelong friend, Florence Henderson. The Brady Bunch matriarch died on Thanksgiving day at age 82, and she had remained close to her TV daughter right up until her death. Within hours after Henderson’s sudden death was announced, a heartbroken Maureen McCormick took to social media to remember the woman she has called her second mom since childhood.

In two poignant posts, Maureen described the late actress as “a dear friend for so many years” who will be in her heart forever.

McCormick also posted a photo of herself with her TV mom at a recent Dancing with the Stars taping in which they spoofed their classic 1970s sitcom.

In addition to Maureen McCormick, several other Brady Bunch stars posted messages about Henderson on social media. Maureen’s TV brother, Barry Williams (oldest sibling Greg on the ’70s sitcom), described the late TV legend as one of the most gracious people he has ever known, while Eve Plumb (Jan on the show) described Flo as a wonderful role model who knew how to tell a good dirty joke. Christopher Knight, who played middle brother Peter Brady on the still-in-syndication ABC series, wrote that he was “privileged to have known” Henderson.

Maureen McCormick’s youngest co-star, Susan Olsen, also posted a message on Facebook, noting that while all of the Brady Bunch kids were mourning the loss of their “mom,” her heart was aching for Henderson’s four real-life children, Barbara, Joseph, Robert, and Lizzie.

https://www.facebook.com/Fluffco/posts/10154766222829320

And in an interview posted by the New York Daily News, Brady Bunch star Mike Lookinland, who played youngest brother Bobby on the show, said he was in shock over the sad news.

“I woke up today to the sad news,” Lookinland said.

“[Florence] was the kind of person that is just great to be around. Just to be in the same room with her was a pleasure. You can’t say that about most people. She was just 100% fun and professional. She said, very specifically, ‘You kids, be good to your fans, love your fans.’ She said it was part of the deal to interact with and be kind to and appreciate and love your fans. I took that to heart and tried to do that.”

While all of the Brady Bunch stars remained close to the woman who they first met in 1969, Maureen McCormick seemed to have a special relationship with her TV mom, especially in recent years. In fact, according to People, Henderson was spotted in the Dancing with the Stars audience just three days before her death. The actress, who competed on the 11th season of the ABC celebrity ballroom competition, turned up on finale night in support of Maureen, who recently competed on the 23rd season of the long-running show.

In addition to their reunion earlier this week, the TV mother-daughter duo reunited earlier in the season when Florence surprised Maureen by showing up in the front row of the DWTS audience on opening night to cheer her on. Henderson even hugged McCormick and told her how proud she was of her.

“I love her,” the TV legend told host Tom Bergeron of Maureen.

Early in the season, Maureen McCormick even did a Brady Bunch-inspired routine with her DWTS partner, Artem Chigvintsev, which started out with a cameo by her TV mom, who called out “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!”

Maureen also addressed her past battle with cocaine addiction and depression as part of her DWTS Most Memorable Year dance, and in a pre-taped segment, Flo was on hand to offer some insight into how McCormick struggled with the transition from child star to adulthood. Indeed, there is no denying how close Maureen McCormick and the rest of the Brady Bunch cast remained with Henderson over the past four decades since their iconic TV show ended.

In addition to Maureen McCormick, several other Dancing with the Stars alums remembered Florence Henderson after her death, including host Tom Bergeron, co-host Erin Andrews, and head judge Len Goodman. Maureen McCormick’s DWTS co-star, Season 23 runner-up James Hinchcliffe, wrote that “the world is a little smaller” without Florence in it.

Take a look at the video below to see Maureen McCormick and her lifelong friend and TV mom, Florence Henderson, on Dancing with the Stars earlier this year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-81fovVS_0

[Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]

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