Kathy Staff
Kathy Staff | |
---|---|
Born | Minnie Higginbottom 12 July 1928 Dukinfield, Cheshire, England |
Died | 13 December 2008 Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, England | (aged 80)
Resting place | Dukinfield Cemetery and Crematorium |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1946–2008 |
Spouse |
John Staff (m. 1951) |
Children | 2 |
Relatives | Constance (sister) |
Kathy Staff (born Minnie Higginbottom; 12 July 1928 – 13 December 2008) was an English actress known for her work on
Career
Early career
She began her acting career with touring repertory companies in 1946, changing her name to Katherine Brant. After she married John Staff in 1951,
Last of the Summer Wine
Staff was best known for her role as one of the main characters, Nora Batty, in the long-running BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine. She played Nora Batty from the pilot episode in 1973 [1] until 2008, the year she died from a brain tumour, totalling 245 episodes.
Following the death of actor Bill Owen on 12 July 1999, Staff left the show briefly. She stated in interviews that things just were not the same since his death, and her heart was no longer in it. She would later return to the show and remain until her death in 2008.
Television
Staff had a regular role as Doris Luke in the popular ATV soap opera,
She was the subject of .
Theatre
Her theatre roles included Lady Bracknell in
Films
She appeared in A Kind of Loving (1962) as Thora Hird's neighbour, as well as The Family Way (1966), The Dresser (1983), Camille (1984), Little Dorrit (1988), and Mary Reilly (1996).[6]
Illness and death
Staff died on 13 December 2008 at the Willow Wood Hospice in Ashton-under-Lyne, at the age of 80, with her husband John at her bedside, after a brain tumour was diagnosed earlier in the year.[7][8] Her death was announced on 14 December.[9] Her funeral took place at St Mark's Church, Dukinfield, where she was a lifelong member and sang in the choir. She is commemorated in a memorial screen at the church.[10]
Television roles
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1969 | Castle Haven | Lorna Everitt |
1970 | Queenie's Castle | Mrs Blakely |
1973 | Hadleigh | Mrs Brennan |
1973–2001 2002–2008 |
Last of the Summer Wine | Nora Batty; 243 episodes |
1973–1975 | Coronation Street | Vera Hopkins
|
1975 | Emmerdale | Winnie Purvis |
1976–1981 | Open All Hours | Mrs Blewett |
1978–1984 2001–2002 |
Crossroads | Doris Luke |
1983–1986 | The Benny Hill Show | Various |
1988 | No Frills | Molly Bickerstaff |
References
- ^ a b c "Nora: Kathy Staff". The Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 1 January 2000. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ ISBN 9780340694299.
- ^ "Non-County Boroughs". Elections Centre. 9 March 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ "1971.xlsx". Google Docs. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- Lily Savage's Blankety Blank. 25 March 2001. ITV.
- ^ The Independent
- ^ Dowling, Nicola (14 December 2008). "Summer Wine's Nora Batty dies". Manchester Evening News. M.E.N. Media. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ "Kathy Staff". The Daily Telegraph. 14 December 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ "Summer Wine star Staff dies at 80". BBC News. 14 December 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2008.
- ^ Chester Diocesan News, February 2011
Further reading
- Staff, Kathy (1999). Book of Happy Families.
- Staff, Kathy (1999). My Story, Wrinkles & All.
External links
- Kathy Staff at IMDb
- Kathy Staff discography at Discogs
- Obituary in The Times. Retrieved 2008-12-15
- Obituary in The Independent