BEATRICE ARTHUR

Beatrice Arthur, the tall, deep-voiced actress, died on Saturday at the age of 86 after a battle with cancer.

Her razor-sharp delivery of comedy lines made her a TV star in the hit shows "Maude" and "The Golden Girls." Sh won a Tony Award for the musical "Mame."

Arthur died peacefully at her Los Angeles home with her family at her side, family spokesman Dan Watt said.

Arthur was born Bernice Frankel in New York City in 1922. When she was 11, her family moved to Cambridge, Md., where her father opened a clothing store. At 12 she had grown to full height, and she dreamed of being a petite blond movie star like June Allyson. There was one advantage of being tall and deep-voiced: She was chosen for the male roles in school plays.

In recent years, Arthur made guest appearances on shows including “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” She was chairwoman of the Art Attack Foundation, a non-profit performing arts scholarship organization.

Arthur is survived by her sons and two granddaughters.