Valerie Harper Age at Death
Valerie Harper was 80 years old when she died on August 30, 2019, according to her family and public records confirmed by major news outlets. She was born on August 22, 1939, in Suffern, New York, making her final age exactly 80 years and 8 days. Her death was widely reported as resulting from complications related to brain cancer, a diagnosis she had publicly shared years earlier.
At the time of her passing, Harper was recognized as one of the longest-living main cast members of a classic sitcom era. Her age at death placed her among the older generation of television stars whose careers bridged live TV, sitcoms, and modern media. The precise age of 80 became a key data point in obituaries and entertainment timelines.
Valerie Harper Career Timeline and Public Life
Harper first gained national attention in the 1970s as a cast member on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a role that defined her public image for decades. She later starred in the spinoff Rhoda, which ran from 1974 to 1978 and solidified her status as a television icon.
After Rhoda, she continued working in television, film, and stage productions, maintaining a presence in entertainment for more than 40 years. Her career earnings, public appearances, and health updates were closely tracked by fans and media, with her age frequently cited in profiles and retrospectives.
Valerie Harper Death and Legacy
Her death at age 80 prompted widespread tributes from colleagues, networks, and entertainment industry organizations. The timing of her passing, in late August 2019, was noted in calendar-based retrospectives that referenced her age and career milestones.
Valerie Harper's legacy is often framed around her age at death as a marker of a long, influential career in American television. Public records, obituaries, and entertainment databases consistently list her final age as 80, a figure used in rankings of notable deaths by age and career length.