Comedian Phyllis Diller dies in Los Angeles at 95 - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Comedian Phyllis Diller dies in Los Angeles at 95

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Phyllis Diller Phyllis Diller
LOS ANGELES -

Phyllis Diller, the housewife turned humorist who aimed some of her sharpest barbs at herself, has died at age 95 in Los Angeles.

Her longtime manager, Milton Suchin, says Diller died Monday morning in her sleep. She had survived a near-fatal heart attack in 1999.

Diller was a staple of nightclubs and television from the 1950s until her retirement in 2002. She was famous for her distinctive laugh and portrayed herself as a bizarre housewife with a husband named "Fang."

She would tell audiences that "I bury a lot of my ironing in the backyard."

Diller was nearly 40 when she began performing, with five children and a successful career as an advertising copywriter. At the time, women were a rarity in the world of stand-up comedy.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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