Elizabeth Montgomery - Illness and Death

Illness and Death

In the spring of 1995, Montgomery was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. She had ignored the flu-like symptoms during the filming of Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan which was filmed only days before she died. By the time the cancer was diagnosed, it was too late for medical intervention. With no hope of recovery and unwilling to die in a hospital, she chose to return to the Beverly Hills home that she shared with Foxworth.

On May 18, 1995, Montgomery died at home in the company of her children and husband just eight weeks after her diagnosis. She was 62.

On June 18, 1995, a memorial service was held at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills. Herbie Hancock provided the music, and Dominick Dunne spoke about their early days as friends in New York City. Other speakers included her husband, Robert Foxworth, who read out sympathy cards from fans; her nurse; her brother; her daughter; and her stepson. She was cremated at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.