Beloved 'Simpsons' Voice Actor Dies

We watched her drive Bart Simpson crazy for decades every Sunday night, but, sadly, Mrs. Krabappel will no longer teach in Springfield. The actress who voiced the famous Simpsons character, Marcia Wallace, has died at 70 years old, according to the animated series' creator, Al Jean. (The actress, who also was beloved for her role as secretary Carol Kester on The Bob Newhart Show, had previously survived a bout with breast cancer.) Said Jean, "I was tremendously saddened to learn this morning of the passing of the brilliant and gracious Marcia Wallace ... She was beloved by all at The Simpsons and we intend to retire her irreplaceable character."

The spiky-haired actress enjoyed a long career of character roles in projects like Charles in Charge, Full House, and Murphy Brown, but she was so beloved off screen that she often landed appearances as herself in TV series like Hollywood Squares, The Merv Griffin Show, and Match Game. But it was her career in voice work that made her most recognizable to younger audiences, who listened to Wallace in series like Darkwing Duck, That's My Bush, and, of course, The Simpsons. In fact, Wallace was so good as Springfield Elementary's chain-smoking teacher, she won an Emmy for the role in 1992.

But, sadly, fans of Mrs. Krabappel will have to watch Principal Skinner's paramour disappear with Wallace. As Jean mentioned, The Simpsons will no longer feature Mrs. Krabappel following Wallace's death. (Though the FOX series previously announced plans to kill off an "iconic character," showrunners were not referring to Mrs. Krabappel: "Marcia’s passing is unrelated and again, a terrible loss for all who had the pleasure of knowing her," Jean said in a statement.)

Though she'll always live on in reruns (not to mention our hearts), we can't forget these words of wisdom from Springfield Elementary's toughest broad, which we'll take with us always:

1. "These tests will have no effect on your grades. They merely determine your future social status and financial success."

2. "Oh, don't worry, children. Most of you will never fall in love, but will marry out of the fear of dying alone."

3. "You'll have to do your homework. Just kidding. I've given up on you long ago."

4. "Some of you may discover a wonderful vocation you'd never even imagined. Others may find out life isn't fair, in spite of your Masters from Bryn Mawr, you might end up a glorified babysitter to a bunch of dead-eyed fourth graders while your husband runs naked on a beach with your marriage counselor."

5. "No. Stop. Think of the children."

No wonder watching Wallace on The Simpsons, we had no choice but to say: Ha!