The cause of death was not given. The two were both widows and, just as the character had been orphaned during the Second World War when her family were wiped out by a bomb in the Blitz, Franklin - born in Covent Garden in 1911 - was just four when her mother died. Some jurisdictions also provide access to Birth Date, Place of Birth, and Spouse’s Full Name. The dogs are my best friends on the show.But it was as Ethel Skinner in EastEnders (1985-97, 2000) that Franklin won her greatest fame. Appearing from the first episode, on 19 February 1985, Ethel came closest to blows with Dot when there was an eligible man around. English actress who played the role of Ethel Skinner in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. "She was written out in a controversial storyline in which Ethel, suffering from cancer, begged a friend to help her die.In the 1960s, she had a number of television roles, including parts in the popular police dramas "Dixon of Dock Green" and "Z Cars" and played the wife of the irascible bigot Alf Garnett in the pilot episode of the comic sitcom "Till Death Us Do Part" in 1965.Her first film appearance came in the 1954 British film, "Before I Wake." Are you sure you want to delete this comment?The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. After a three-year break, she returned in 2000, when Ethel announced that she was suffering from terminal cancer. Gretchen Franklin, better known as Eastender’s Ethel Skinner, has finally abandoned her Willy (her carefully named dog) to join the great soap opera in the sky.
Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates.After a hip operation, Ethel moved out of her rent-free flat at Dr Legg's premises to lodge with Dot Cotton because she could no longer cope by herself. Funeral arrangements were not announced.Franklin died at home in London on Monday, Barry Burnett said. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. Gretchen Franklin About. Death Records, together with other Vital Records are created and kept by local authorities throughout the US. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Franklin died at home in London on Monday, Barry Burnett said.