Lynn Hamilton, Fred’s Long-Suffering Fiancée on ‘Sanford and Son,’ Dies at 95

Lynn Hamilton, who played Fred Sanford’s upstanding girlfriend Donna on more than 20 episodes of TV’s “Sanford and Son,” died at her Chicago home on June 19.

She was 95.

Her former manager and publicist, the Rev. Calvin Carson, confirmed to THR that her death was due to natural causes.

Born April 25, 1930, in Yazoo City, Mississippi, Hamilton was a stage actor from an early age. She made her Broadway debut — in her first of four shows on the Great White Way — in 1959, and was also busy off-Broadway.

Wed to noted playwright Frank Jenkins in 1964, she expanded to work in feature films — including “Shadows” (1958), “Brother John” (1971), “Buck and the Preacher” (1972), and “Lady Sings the Blues” (1973) — but was most recognizable for her work on TV.

She first appeared as Donna on “Sanford and Son” in the show’s first season. At the time, she was just 42, but gray was added to her hair to age her in much the same way series star Redd Foxx was aged. She was playing 20 years older, as was Foxx, who was just 49 years old on the first day of shooting, in spite of playing an elderly, cantankerous junkyard owner.

Donna was an upstanding and somewhat prim RN, whereas Fred was outspoken and crass. The two were engaged, yet they never married, often squabbling, no thanks to Fred’s son Lamont (Demond Wilson), who did not want his late mother replaced in his dad’s life.

Hamilton’s other recurring role during that time was as Verdie Foster on “The Waltons” for 17 episodes (1973-1981).

“Waltons” star Judy Norton wrote of her on social media, “So sad to hear of the passing of our beloved Lynn Hamilton who shared her grace and talent with us as Verdie Grant. Godspeed. Til we meet again,” while actor Eric Scott noted, “She was a treasure to us all. G’night Verdie.”

She went on to star on the soap “Generations” (1989-1991) and the syndicated drama “Dangerous Women” (1991-1992), and to recur on “227” (1986-1989), and also appeared in the features “Legal Eagles” (1986) and “The Vanishing” (1993).

More recently, she played the mother of Wanda Sykes on a 2002 episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” ending her on-screen career with an episode of “Cold Case” (2009).

Hamilton was preceded in death in 2014 by her husband.

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