Actress. She is best remembered for her role as 'Carol Kester', the wisecracking receptionist in the television situation comedy series "The Bob Newhart Show" (1972 to 1978). Additionally, she was known for her voice contributions of the character 'Edna Krabappel' in the popular animated television series "The Simpsons" (1990 to 2013). Born in the small town of Creston, Iowa, her father was a general store proprietor. She majored in English and Theatre while attending Parsons College in Iowa and experienced performing in several school stage productions, among them "The Music Man." Following graduation, she moved to New York City, New York in pursuit of her dream to become an actress and while there, she initiated her television career in commercials, as well as performing in summer stock. She went onto off-Broadway plays and became a familiar presence to television audiences with her recurring appearances on "The Merv Griffin Show." This led to her Hollywood career which began with minor roles on the series "The Brady Bunch," "Columbo" and "Love, American Style." In addition to acting roles, she appeared in a wide range of television game shows among them "The Hollywood Squares," "Match Game" and "Super Password." In 1992, she received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for an episode of "The Simpsons" titled "Bart The Lover." Off-screen, Wallace revealed that she was the victim of physical abuse during her childhood from her alcoholic father. Throughout her life, she had battled weight issues and during the 1980s, she fought against breast cancer. She became an advocate for cancer awareness.
Actress. She is best remembered for her role as 'Carol Kester', the wisecracking receptionist in the television situation comedy series "The Bob Newhart Show" (1972 to 1978). Additionally, she was known for her voice contributions of the character 'Edna Krabappel' in the popular animated television series "The Simpsons" (1990 to 2013). Born in the small town of Creston, Iowa, her father was a general store proprietor. She majored in English and Theatre while attending Parsons College in Iowa and experienced performing in several school stage productions, among them "The Music Man." Following graduation, she moved to New York City, New York in pursuit of her dream to become an actress and while there, she initiated her television career in commercials, as well as performing in summer stock. She went onto off-Broadway plays and became a familiar presence to television audiences with her recurring appearances on "The Merv Griffin Show." This led to her Hollywood career which began with minor roles on the series "The Brady Bunch," "Columbo" and "Love, American Style." In addition to acting roles, she appeared in a wide range of television game shows among them "The Hollywood Squares," "Match Game" and "Super Password." In 1992, she received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for an episode of "The Simpsons" titled "Bart The Lover." Off-screen, Wallace revealed that she was the victim of physical abuse during her childhood from her alcoholic father. Throughout her life, she had battled weight issues and during the 1980s, she fought against breast cancer. She became an advocate for cancer awareness.
Bio by: C.S.
Family Members
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See more Wallace memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
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Iowa, U.S., Births (series) 1880-1904, 1921-1944 and Delayed Births (series), 1856-1940
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U.S., Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current
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U.S., Cemetery and Funeral Home Collection, 1847-Current
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Australia and New Zealand, Obituary Index, 2004-Current
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1950 United States Federal Census
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