Beatrice "Bea" Arthur (born Bernice Frankel, May 13, 1922 – April 25, 2009) was an American actress, comedian, and singer whose career spanned seven decades.Arthur achieved fame as the character Maude Findlay on the 1970s sitcoms All in the Family (1971–72) and Maude (1972–78), and as Dorothy Zbornak on the 1980s sitcom The Golden Girls (1985–92), winning Emmy Awards for both roles.