Number Three Has Happened.

No, I'm not speaking of Heath Ledger. While I am terribly saddened by his death at such a young age, I believe there is someone else who completes the Suzanne Pleshette-Allan Melvin trio.

That would be Ms. Lois Nettleton. If you're not familiar with her, for shame! She was an amazing actress, graceful, charming, funny... I always felt like I knew her personally. Her performance as Blanche DuBois in a 1973 Broadway revival of "Streetcar named Desire" was heralded by critics. "This is a Blanche . . . who has been to hell and back and yet retains her innocence," wrote critic Clive Barnes in a review for the New York Times. "Miss Nettleton plays Blanche as a woman of nearly unshatterable courage."

She died at the age of 80 of lung cancer. I came to love her as a regular guest on "The $20,000 Pyramid." But I will never forget her guest appearance on "The Golden Girls" as a lesbian who falls for Rose. Brilliant.

So... Heath Ledger and Brad Renfro can be part of a different trio. But Lois is the third I was waiting for, sadly.

Waiting for Number Three.

I was so saddened to learn today that two of my favorite people from my childhood (and beyond) have passed away.

Suzanne Pleshette has died at the age of 70. Naturally, I adored her as Emily, the sassy but loving wife of Bob Newhart on his first tv show. I also squealed with delight when his second series, Newhart, ended with him discovering that the entire series had been a dream and he was back in bed with Emily.

But I also loved her in her few guest appearances on Will & Grace as Karen's grifter/mother. I loved how she called Karen "KiKi." I'm so sad she's gone.

The second death? Sam the Butcher. Actor Allan Melvin has passed. He also voiced "Magilla Gorilla," one of my favorite cartoons of my youth. He was on "All in the Family / Archie Bunker's Place," too, but I didn't care for those shows. No, he was and forever shall be Sam the Butcher.

Rest in peace.