The mere mention of her name makes me smile. She made us laugh the kind of laughter that was healing. She made us forget our troubles. She gave us hope and love and inspiration. There was nobody like her; she was one of a kind. A true renaissance woman, Phyllis Diller was not simply a brilliant comedienne, she was also an accomplished pianist and painter. And she rose to prominence at a time when female comics were not as prevalent as their male counterparts. She was a revolutionary, a trail-blazer for women. She was one of the few who could "play with the guys." Her relationship with Bob Hope is legendary, but she was also a welcome presence at any number of celebrity roasts for the likes of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, and Johnny Carson.
I had the great pleasure and privilege of working with her some years ago, on the Fox sitcom Titus, where she played my mom. She was 84 at the time, and you wouldn't have known it. She had the energy of a woman half her age, and her ability to make people laugh was fully intact. If I close my eyes, the sound of her infectious trademark guffaw still rings pleasantly in my ears. In recent years, I was shocked and saddened to learn she was the victim of a theft that was profiled on my CNBC-TV show, American Greed. For me, it was as if a member of my family had been violated. "Mom's been robbed!" was what I was feeling, and the anger in my voice was obvious. Ms. Diller was a sweet and wonderful woman, extremely generous and kind, and she didn't deserve such shabby treatment from a greedy, two-bit jewel thief, even though she managed to take it in stride with her glorious sense of humor prevailing.
Since the time we worked together, we managed to exchange notes and Christmas cards, and one year I was happily surprised to receive a very special gift -- a beautiful little painting of a vase of flowers, which proudly adorns my office wall. I shall always cherish it, and I shall always cherish her memory. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.
Thank you, Phyllis, for giving us so much love and laughter.