R.I.P. Edna Krabappel

I've been trying to get away from posting news of celebrity deaths on my blog, lest it become the obituaries page, but occasionally I'll make an exception. Like today.

Marcia Wallace, of The Bob Newhart Show fame and long-time voice of Bart's teacher Edna Krabappel on The Simpsons, has died. She would have turned 71 on November 1.

I always enjoyed Wallace's work on The Bob Newhart Show and watched her on the Match Game and $25,000 Pyramid. She's been on television in one form or another pretty much my entire life.

Simpsons producer Al Jean responded to Wallace's death, saying they intend to retire the character from the show. I think that's probably for the best. They did the same thing with the many characters voiced by Phil Harman after his death.

At the risk of being morbid, The Simpsons has been on for so long that we're now in danger of the voice talent dying off!