Doris Roberts honored

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Doris Roberts honored

Doris Roberts was honoured at a public memorial in New York on Monday (05.16.16).

The 'Everybody Loves Raymond' actress - who died last month from a massive stroke - was remembered by stars including Ray Romano and 'Frasier's David Hyde Pierce, along with her son Michael Cannata in a ceremony at the Ambassador Theatre.

Speaking about Doris, who played busybody mother Marie Barone in 'Everybody Loves Raymond', Ray said: "Here's how good she was: She played the most intrusive, overbearing, noisy woman - always starting fights and whatnot and meddling in our business - and yet when I asked the fans who their favorite character was, all the time it was her. She was so good at portraying the love that was underneath.

"She never stopped. She would shame us with her energy and drive."

He added that she was "the MVP of our cast" and a "second mom who would go over and whisper fabulous" to him after scenes he felt unsure about.

Playwright Terrence McNally and actress Tyne Daly read messages while Barbara Cook sang 'Here's to Life'.

Doris won five Outstanding Supporting Actress Emmy Awards during her career, four for 'Everybody Loves Raymond' and one for 'St. Elsewhere: Cora and Arnie'.

She received six other Emmy nominations.

Doris appeared in a number of movies, including 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation', 'A Lovely Way to Die', 'No Way to Treat a Lady', 'The Honeymoon Killers', 'Such Good Friends', 'Little Murders', and 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three."

She is survived by her son Michael Cannata Jr, from her first marriage to Michael Cannata, which ended in divorce in 1962, and her three grandchildren.

Her second husband, writer William Goyen, passed away after a battle with leukaemia in 1983, 20 years after they tied the knot.