Unlike Irene Ryan as Granny Clampett, and Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, younger actors playing more elderly characters, Judith Lowery as Mother Dexter was actually elderly, and I wonder if playing the role which seemed to be more and more expanded, if she over-extended herself resulting in her death. At any rate maybe its a blessing she left us, having fun!!!

I don't think so,she was at a great age,lot of Actors like to work til the very end.
I just came across her first appearance as Mother Dexter, on a tape that I'm going to get put on to DVD,"I want my room" she screams to Phyllis!

That's not an unreasonable question...since I was recently wondering that same thing myself! :) In the wedding episode which, IIRC, was the last one she filmed (not the last to air in which she appeared), they had her literally running around, doing outdoor location shots etc.

At any rate, I agree with the sentiment 'what a way to go'.

That's not an unreasonable question...since I was recently wondering that same thing myself! :) In the wedding episode which, IIRC, was the last one she filmed (not the last to air in which she appeared), they had her literally running around, doing outdoor location shots etc.

At any rate, I agree with the sentiment 'what a way to go'.

I don't think she was actually running around that much as that whole scene was sped-up film. If anything, I think the fact that she was working might have actually extended her life. It gave her something to do and kept her moving. My grandmother was extremely active right into her late eighties. She was up early every morning doing yard work until late in the day. When she was 88, a visitor once caught her high up in a tree sawing branches. Then when she was 89, her children moved her into a retirement home where she no longer had a yard or outdoor activities to keep her occupied. It was terribly upsetting to her and, at that point, her health began to quickly decline (as did her mental state). She spent the next six years in and out of the hospital, the last two of which she was plagued by dementia. My other grandmother, having witnessed that, used to say that she should never have been put in a retirement home and, if she had been left on her own and suddenly collapsed and died at home, at least she would have gone happy (rather than living the additional years but spending them unhappy).

I read recently Jane Rose(Audrey) took ill in season2 of Phyllis,and had to take things easy,so thats why Bess got such a large part in season2 of the show.

It's been so long that I've seen this series that I was really trying to remember how Mother Dexter (Judith) looked like. Here is a picture of her for those who can't remember her well.

Aw bless,she passed in 76 and here we are talking about her in 2010,says a lot about her!

I read recently Jane Rose(Audrey) took ill in season2 of Phyllis,and had to take things easy,so thats why Bess got such a large part in season2 of the show.
Yes, she passed away soon after Phyllis ended. So they would have been down another cast member, if it went into a third season.

Its funny to think Cloris Leachman is 83,she easily looks and acts 30 years younger!

Yes, she passed away soon after Phyllis ended. So they would have been down another cast member, if it went into a third season.
Jane Rose pops up in Rhoda,when Martin has left Ida and is in Florida,season 5,episode 2 "In Search of Martin".

Yes, she passed away soon after Phyllis ended. So they would have been down another cast member, if it went into a third season.

Jane Rose passed away in 1979, two years after Phyllis ended. I don't know how ill she was before then, but assuming she was destined to live only until 1979, it's conceivable, if she had had the energy, she could have been around for a third and a fourth season of Phyllis. Based on what scotsguy just posted, this seems entirely possible (season 5 of Rhoda was the fall of 1978). However, an occasional appearance on a show like Rhoda is one thing, working full time is another. I'm speculating Cloris Leachman might have taken Jane Rose's failing health into consideration in her decision to end Phyllis, if it is indeed true that Ms. Rose's health was failing that early. Judith Lowry and Jane Rose were probably the most important cast members, apart from Cloris Leachman herself. The show was already struggling to find a way to make Phyllis's work life interesting; unlike The Mary Tyler Moore Show, it was mostly the scenes and stories revolving around Phyllis's home life (rather than her work life) that made the show work. And Jane Rose and Judith Lowry were a huge part of what made the scenes at home sparkle. For the show to have continued without those two, it would have certainly faltered. And I don't think Cloris Leachman would have wanted to risk her prestigious career (which included numerous Emmys and an Oscar) on a show that was most likely bound for mediocrity had it continued (again assuming Jane Rose could not have been around full time). It's a shame, though; Phyllis was an entertaining show and probably could have carried on had it had a healthy cast, but life happens.

All good points there,Cloris herself says of Phyllis "People kept dying".
I did like the fact as the series finished Phyllis was going to be a grandmother,think there was room for more comedy there.
Least we got two series of Phyllis and I hope we see the DVD soon.

One of Judith Lowry's best moments: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H7oNep3f2I

Does anyone have the complete episode?
I have it but sound is terrible.
I can't believe the UK Family Channel missed out Mother Dexter's Wedding in the 90s when they showed it.

Was it really Cloris Leachman's decision to end 'Phyllis' after just two seasons? I thought CBS axed the show due to low ratings...

Was it really Cloris Leachman's decision to end 'Phyllis' after just two seasons? I thought CBS axed the show due to low ratings...

That's a good question. I remember an item in TV Guide back in 1977 saying Cloris Leachman had decided to end the series. But according to this webpage (see section 3), it was CBS's decision because, after a successful first season, the ratings were declining rapidly during the second: http://wapedia.mobi/en/Phyllis_(TV_series)

It might have been that CBS let it appear to be Cloris Leachman's decision to save her some embarrassment. Then again, it's kind of odd that CBS would have abruptly yanked a show that, just a year earlier, had been a big hit. I remember in the early '80s, there were rumors the TV show Alice was being cancelled because it had dropped to the bottom of the ratings. But instead of cancelling it, CBS moved it back to its original time slot on Sunday night and its ratings went back up. If they were that patient with a mediocre sitcom like Alice, why couldn't they have been that way with Phyllis which, IMO, was way better?

I found a newspaper article reporting Judith Lowry's death. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Uo4SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3fYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4017,3028079&hl=en

I found a newspaper article reporting Judith Lowry's death. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Uo4SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3fYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4017,3028079&hl=en

Oh wow, thanks so much for that!

Here's another interesting link I found: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6822625

Here's another interesting link I found: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6822625

Thanks for posting that. Very interesting stuff there. That's a very simple grave marker; who would ever guess it belonged to a beloved TV performer.

I was looking around on Youtube and found this clip of the movie Cold Turkey. It features a scene with Judith Lowry beginning at 0:58. This is vintage Judith Lowry. It looks like she was preparing to be Mother Dexter here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ftIm2hZrn0

Here's another clip of her in a dramatic role with Joanne Woodward in the film, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds. This is not Mother Dexter at all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNo8VL1mtFQ