‘She Was as Happy as Ever’: Betty White’s Assistant Shares ‘One of the Last’ Photos of Her on 100Th Birthday

Betty White was just two weeks short of her 100th birthday when she passed away. However, the celebrated and legendary actress lived a long and happy life, appearing in some of the most beloved productions in show business history.

After White passed away on December 31, many of her friends and colleagues celebrated her life through social media and other outlets. And on what was to be Betty White’s 100th birthday, her assistant, Kiersten, decided to pay tribute.

On Betty White’s official Facebook page, Kiersten posted a picture of the legendary actress. And according to the assistant, it’s one of the last pictures ever taken of Betty White. 

On December 31, Betty White passed away. The news shocked many fans, and now, the legendary trailblazing actress is being honored worldwide.

Betty White dead at 99

Her close friend and agent Jeff Witjas told People that she “died peacefully in her sleep at her home.”

“Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” Witjas told People in a statement. “I will miss her terribly, and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband, Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.” 

After the news of her passing became known to the public, Hollywood paid tribute to Betty White.

Betty White lived her life to the fullest to the end. But in the last few years of her life, the actress was forced to live a life that she didn’t want.

Born on January 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois, Betty White was the only child of parents Horace White and Tess Curts White. The family moved to Los Angeles during the Great Depression, and as a child, White wasn’t thinking of a career in acting.

She dreamed about working as a forest ranger or a writer. However, when in high school, she fell in love with acting,

Betty White – early life

In 2010, White’s childhood dream came true as she became an honorary forest ranger, receiving the title by the U.S Forest Service during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She was presented with both a badge and a ranger’s hat.

“In my heart, I’ve been a forest ranger all my life, but now I’m official,” Betty White said at the time.

“Whether I’ve been a legitimate forest ranger or not, I’ve been working for the cause for the last 89 years. I know this is an honorary position, but it’s also one where I can use a voice to try to protect the remaining beautiful parts of this gorgeous world we live on.”

After graduating high school, Betty White had found her true passion in acting. She first worked in radio and had her show, The Betty White Show. Not long after, she moved on to be an assistant at a local television station.

While working on local television, a sketch became White’s ticket to fame. Then, in the early 1950s, she, alongside George Tibbles, launched her first television series, Life with Elizabeth.

“He wrote, and I produced,” White told The Hollywood Reporter. “I was one of the first women producers in Hollywood.”

It was clear from the beginning that Betty White was a tremendous talent in Hollywood. She took over the reins of television, and in 1951, she was nominated for her first Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actress. It was groundbreaking since it was the first-ever category to recognize the achievements of women at the Emmy Awards.