Mary Tyler Moore died at the age of 80 on Wednesday, January 25, due to cardiopulmonary arrest, according to the late TV actress’ death certificate, which was obtained by TMZ on Monday, January 30.
Unlike a heart attack, cardiopulmonary arrest means that the heart simply stops beating. TMZ reports that aspiration pneumonia, hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the tissues) and diabetes mellitus also contributed to Moore’s death.
As previously reported, the Hollywood vet — who suffered from a decades-long battle with diabetes — was laid to rest during a private funeral service at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Fairfield, Connecticut, on Sunday, January 29. According to the Connecticut Post, approximately 50 close friends and family members attended the 11 a.m. ceremony.
Moore’s burial mound was “covered in white orchids, and roses and other flowers accented the site,” the newspaper reports. The gravesite — which features a five-foot statue of a seated female angel — has also been adorned with an M-shaped floral arrangement similar to the recognizable wall decoration in Moore’s character’s apartment on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The television icon’s family reportedly purchased 12 nearby gravesites because of privacy concerns.
Prior to Moore’s burial, her loved ones gathered for a brief service at the cemetery’s chapel. “It was very quiet, a small group,” Fairfield Police Lieutenant James Perez told the Connecticut Post. “There was a brief service. It’s a beautiful site that she’s at. It’s nice what the family did. It was a nice little send-off for her.”
The Hot in Cleveland actress’ rep confirmed her death in a statement to Us Weekly on January 25. “Today, beloved icon Mary Tyler Moore passed away at the age of 80 in the company of friends and her loving husband of over 33 years, Dr. S. Robert Levine,” the statement read. “A groundbreaking actress, producer and passionate advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mary will be remembered as a fearless visionary who turned the world on with her smile.”
