In the final kicker of 2021, we lost legendary icon and actor Betty White on December 31, just shy of what would have been her 100th birthday.
Her life and career will always be remembered, but Oak Park, the town in Illinois where she was born is taking it a step further with Betty White Day.
The day will be celebrated on January 17, her birthday, with president of the Village of Oak Park, Vicki Scarman, telling TMZ that the city still owes a lot to the star.
Despite her moving to California as an infant, White still spoke very highly of Oak Park and continued to visit her relatives there.
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To highlight her life, Scarman will read a proclamation for Betty White Day during a memorial for community members of Oak Park and small businesses will band together to offer discounts to customers and 'Betty White specials'.
Mickey's Restaurant will offer a special, a hotdog, fries and diet coke, which was one of White's favourite meals, and Turano Bakery will make a giant birthday cake for the actor.
The area will also be decorated with cut-outs of White and there will be a mural contest for which the winner's mural will be painted downtown in the city.
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The holiday will fall on Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, which means the town will also have a public holiday for the event.
White's agent, Jeff Witjas, confirmed this week that the star died of natural causes.
Jeff felt forced to comment after false reports emerged that she died three days after receiving the Covid-19 booster shot attributed her death to the vaccine.
Associated Press disproved the claim, showing a quote attributed to White was fabricated, and her agent confirmed the actor never received the booster shot.
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It was Witjas who confirmed White's death in a statement to press the day she died.
"Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever," Witjas shared.
"I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much.
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"I don't think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again."
He again confirmed to the media that she had died peacefully and of natural causes this week.
"Betty died peacefully in her sleep at her home. People are saying her death was related to getting a booster shot three days earlier but that is not true," he told the media.
"She died of natural causes. Her death should not be politicized - that is not the life she lived."
Featured Image Credit: AF archive / Alamy Stock PhotoTopics: Entertainment, Celebrity