Post passed away Saturday, her manager Ellen Lubin Sanitsky of Wright Entertainment confirmed to CNN on Sunday.
“With great sadness, the family of actress Markie Post tonight shares her passing after a three year, ten month battle with cancer,” her family said in a statement.
Post chose to continue working despite battling cancer and going through chemo treatments, “determined to make it her ‘side job,'” the statement said, adding that the actress played a role in a Lifetime Christmas movie and was a frequent guest star on the ABC series “The Kids Are Alright” during that fight.
“But for us, our pride is in who she was in addition to acting; a person who made elaborate cakes for friends, sewed curtains for first apartments and showed us how to be kind, loving and forgiving in an often harsh world,” her family said.
Born on November 4, 1950 in Palo Alto, California, Post launched her TV career “by working behind the scenes on game shows,” online entertainment news site Deadline reported. She eventually got in front of the camera in 1979, appearing on shows including “Chips,” “The Incredible Hulk” and “Hart to Hart.”
Post became widely known for her roles on the popular 1980s shows, “The Fall Guy” and “Night Court” and more recent appearances in ABC’s “The Kids are Alright” and Lifetime Movies.
Tributes to Post
Many people who worked with the actress expressed their condolences for her passing.
Actress Melissa Joan Hart, who costarred with Post in “Holiday in Handcuffs,” expressed her grief in an Instagram post, saying, “I’m heartbroken to lose an angel here on earth! My dear friend and TV mother [Markie Post] is finally at rest after a long hard battle with cancer. I can’t describe what she meant to me, the friendship we had and the kindness she demonstrated for me… Love you so much Markie! You will be forever missed!”
Ed Asner, who worked with the actress in the sitcom “Hearts Afire” also shared a tribute on Twitter.
“I am devastated to hear of the passing of my friend Markie Post. She was a true talent. We did Hearts Afire together and to work with her and John was a gift. F&@k Cancer!” Asner tweeted.
Sophia Bush, who stars in NBC’s Chicago P.D. and worked with Post when she appeared as Bush’s mother on the show, shared a touching post in honor of the actress.
“I’m just heartbroken at the news of Markie’s passing,” Bush said on Twitter. “She was a rock. A light. A great friend and a phenomenal scene partner. She brought sunshine everywhere she went. Prayers.”
There are no details of Post’s memorial and all inquiries were referred to her manager.
