R.I.P., Anne Meara

Anne Meara was a favorite in my household growing up. My Mom and grandparents would sit with me in our living room, loving her performances with husband, Jerry Stiller on CBS' The Ed Sullivan Show.

I particularly recall a skit in which their "How Much I Love You" talk turned into "How Much I Hate You." Anne had a great line I remembered my lifetime: "If, on a beach, every grain of sand had 'hate' written on it, that's how much I hate you!" This was edgy stuff back then and I saw new directions from this regarding where comedy can go.

Stiller & Meara had, especially, an appeal to the working class. Anne and Jerry were married for 63 years and are the parents, of course, of Ben Stiller. The Irish-American was a Method actress and also did serious roles, like on tv's Law and Order. Though she was best known as a comedian. She was a regular on "Archie Bunker's Place" and "The King of Queens."

She guested several times on "Sex & the City" and "Will & Grace," She had a recurring role on the daytime soap, "All My Children" and now-classic sitcom "Murphy Brown."

She is missed by the public and entertainment community alike.