Marilyn Coleman obit

Marilyn Coleman(1934-2013)

 

She was not on the list.

I know the old school family remembers the actress who played “Mrs. Bookman” on “Good Times!” Her name was Marilyn Coleman and she graced us with characters like Violet Bookman, Grandmama in “Menace II Society“, and Mrs. King in “The Five Heartbeats“. And for my true “old schoolers”, she was Sister Sarah in “Which Way Is Up?” starring alongside Richard Pryor.

Sadly Marilyn Coleman passed away in 2013 at the age of 79. In our research of some of our favorite Old School actresses, we were saddened to find out that she’d passed away. But we’ve also located a video that her grandchild put together for her funeral service, and it was very enlightening! The former “Good Times” actress had a love of music, and the gift of song that had been captured on video in her younger days and it was surely a pleasant surprise! Take a look at the video below.

Marilyn began performing as a singer at a very young age, but by the late 1960’s, Marilyn decided to try her luck in Hollywood, relocating there, and then began getting roles on film and TV, appearing in the popular Rudy Ray “Dolemite” Moore blaxploitation/comedy flick Disco Godfather, (1979) and the Keenan Ivory Wayans blaxploitation spoof comedy I’m Gonna Get You Sucka (1989).

Her TV show appearances include Good Times, Lou Grant, The Love Boat, Family, The White Shadow and Amen. Now we all know her from these popular movies and TV shows, but Marilyn love of music was evident in her personal life. She was married to jazz percussionist Fred Allen, which they later divorced, and then she married jazz singer Fred Coleman.  Check out this video celebrating the life of Marilyn Coleman.

Marilyn died in on Philadelphia on June 25, 2013, she survived by three children, two brothers, four grandchildren, and four-great-grandchildren.

 

Actress

John Lynch and Jacqueline McKenzie in Angel Baby (1995)

Angel Baby

7.0

Wheel of Fortune Contestant

1995

 

James Earl Jones, Bill Cosby, Marla Gibbs, Sinbad, Luther Vandross, Eddie Griffin, Robert Guillaume, Big Daddy Kane, Robert Townsend, and Another Bad Creation in The Meteor Man (1993)

The Meteor Man

5.2

Mrs. Walker

1993

 

Road to Nowhere (1993)

Road to Nowhere

5.7

Video

House-Keeper

1993

 

Larenz Tate and Tyrin Turner in Menace II Society (1993)

Menace II Society

7.5

Grandmama

1993

 

Mare Winningham and Tyra Ferrell in Better Off Dead (1993)

Better Off Dead

6.0

TV Movie

Rene Dubuque

1993

 

Claude Brooks, Frankie Faison, Stephanie Faracy, Adam Jeffries, Nancy Walker, and Brigid Brannagh in True Colors (1990)

True Colors

6.9

TV Series

Mary

1991

1 episode

 

Harry Lennix, Leon, Robert Townsend, Tico Wells, and Michael Wright in The Five Heartbeats (1991)

The Five Heartbeats

7.5

Mrs. King

1991

 

James McDaniel, Anne Bobby, and David Gianopoulos in Cop Rock (1990)

Cop Rock

4.5

TV Series

Angry Woman

1990

1 episode

 

Heat Wave (1990)

Heat Wave

6.8

TV Movie

Cora

1990

 

Annie Potts, Delta Burke, Jean Smart, and Dixie Carter in Designing Women (1986)

Designing Women

7.3

TV Series

Aunt Louise

1990

1 episode

 

Anything But Love (1989)

Anything But Love

6.9

TV Series

Passenger

1989

1 episode

 

I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)

I'm Gonna Git You Sucka

6.6

Funeral Mourner

1988

 

Fred Dryer and Stepfanie Kramer in Hunter (1984)

Hunter

6.9

TV Series

Hotel Clerk

1986

1 episode

 

Sherman Hemsley in Amen (1986)

Amen

6.8

TV Series

Mrs. Russell

1986

1 episode

 

James Earl Jones, Martin Sheen, Jason Robards, Rip Torn, and Calvin Levels in The Atlanta Child Murders (1985)

The Atlanta Child Murders

6.7

TV Mini Series

Lois Evans

1985

2 episodes

 

LeVar Burton and Shavar Ross in Booker (1984)

Booker

7.3

TV Movie

Sophia

1984

 

Don't Go to Sleep (1982)

Don't Go to Sleep

6.5

TV Movie

Sarah

1982

 

Something So Right (1982)

Something So Right

6.5

TV Movie

Secretary

1982

 

Vice Squad (1982)

Vice Squad

6.4

Beatrice Adams

1982

 

Dorian Harewood, Michael Goodwin, Trisha Noble, Richard Romanus, and Robert Stack in Strike Force (1981)

Strike Force

6.8

TV Series

Mrs. Simms

1982

1 episode

 

The Best Little Girl in the World (1981)

The Best Little Girl in the World

6.3

TV Movie

Emergency Nurse

1981

 

The White Shadow (1978)

The White Shadow

8.0

TV Series

Mrs. Hayward

1978–1981

2 episodes

 

Aunt Mary (1979)

Aunt Mary

7.2

TV Movie

Grace Hazel

1979

 

Disco Godfather (1979)

Disco Godfather

5.2

Disco Dance Skater

1979

 

No Other Love (1979)

No Other Love

6.8

TV Movie

Mrs. Walker

1979

 

Meredith Baxter, Kristy McNichol, James Broderick, Gary Frank, and Sada Thompson in Family (1976)

Family

7.7

TV Series

Nurse

1979

1 episode

 

A Woman Called Moses (1978)

A Woman Called Moses

7.7

TV Mini Series

Molly

1978

2 episodes

 

Geraldine Chaplin in Remember My Name (1978)

Remember My Name

6.3

Teresa

1978

 

John Amos, Ralph Carter, Ja'net DuBois, Esther Rolle, BernNadette Stanis, and Jimmie 'JJ' Walker in Good Times (1974)

Good Times

7.4

TV Series

Violet Bookman

1977–1978

2 episodes

 

Edward Asner in Lou Grant (1977)

Lou Grant

7.3

TV Series

Corrie

1978

1 episode

 

David Janssen in Nowhere to Run (1978)

Nowhere to Run

6.7

TV Movie

Maid

1978

 

Fred Grandy, Bernie Kopell, Ted Lange, Gavin MacLeod, and Lauren Tewes in The Love Boat (1977)

The Love Boat

6.3

TV Series

Mrs. Dennison

1977

1 episode

 

Richard Pryor in Which Way Is Up? (1977)

Which Way Is Up?

6.2

Sister Sarah

1977

 

Invasion of the Love Drones

5.1

Club Drone

1977

 

Diane Keaton in Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)

Looking for Mr. Goodbar

6.7

Mrs. Jackson

1977

 

The Blue Knight (1975)

The Blue Knight

6.8

TV Series

Mail carrier

1976

1 episode

 

Starsky and Hutch (1975)

Starsky and Hutch

7.0

TV Series

Jennie (as Marilyn B. Coleman)

1975

1 episode

 

Willie Dynamite (1974)

Willie Dynamite

6.4

Connie

1974

 

Barbra Streisand in Up the Sandbox (1972)

Up the Sandbox

5.7

Rose White

1972

 

Self

Marilyn Coleman's North Philadelphia (1968)

Marilyn Coleman's North Philadelphia

Self

1968