Beloved as Edith Bunker, the "dingbat", good-hearted wife of Archie Bunker on "All in the Family" (CBS, 1971-79) who grew into her own self-awareness, Stapleton, with her gangly, character actor's body and bird-like facial features, parlayed mid-life good fortune into an enduring career in TV-movies and other projects. From her debut in summer stock in 1941 through the 40s, 50s and 60s, Stapleton was a stage performer, not only on Broadway, but also in repertory theaters and at the Totem Pole Playhouse, the summer theater she started in 1958 with her husband, William Putch.Stapleton originated
