LaWanda Page

 LaWanda Page, born Alberta Peal (October 19, 1920 – September 14, 2002)

She was best known for her role as Aunt Esther in the 1970s TV sitcom Sanford and Son. LaWanda Page and Redd Foxx were very close friends from the time they were pre-teen age. They attended school and grew up together in St. Louis. Later on, they both entered the field of comedy separately and performed stage acts. Page later recorded several live comedy albums for the Laff Records label in the late 1960s and early 1970s under the LaWanda stage name. One release, a gold-selling album called Watch It, Sucker!, was titled after one of her Aunt Esther character's catchphrases to capitalize on her newfound TV fame. In 1977 Page appeared in an episode of The Love Boat entitled "Oh Dale", alongside Sherman Hemsley. Page also appeared on several episodes of The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, and over the next two decades occasionally guest-starred in episodes of other popular television shows, including Amen, Martin, 227, Family Matters, and Diff'rent Strokes. LaWanda Page died of complications from diabetes on September 14, 2002. She is interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.