Iconic Esther Williams Passes Away at 91

I am truly heartbroken. Saturday afternoons as a kid were usually spent outside playing. But if it rained we were inside and on the television there was almost ALWAYS an Esther Williams movie to watch.

The beautiful woman who swam with Jerry from Tom & Jerry, who water-skied, who ALWAYS looked fabulous when she popped out of the water during the big numbers has passed away.

If I could count the number of times I watched an Esther Williams movie, I'm SURE it would be in the thousands mark. She was so beautiful but not typical of the starlets in the 1940s and 1950s. She was tall and athletic. Esther actually was a three time swimming National Champion in her teens. She worked with the top names of the time: Gene Kelly, Howard Keel (who I was in love with), Frank Sinatra, Van Johnson and many more.

My favorite movie was 'Million Dollar Mermaid' where she played legendary Australian swimmer Annette Kellerman, although she never did an Australian accent. If I scroll through the listings and see any of her movies I stop and watch. I enjoy them that much.

I remember her being married to Fernando Lamas until he died in the 1980s. I always thought they were a beautiful couple.

Thank you, Ms. Williams, for the many, MANY wonderful afternoons of living in your ocean dreamworld. It was wonderful.