It was a tragic day when Edith died (second season premiere episode of Archie Bunker's Place).From the Edith Bunker page at Wikipedia:
It was only with great reluctance that producer Norman Lear killed off his beloved character. When Jean Stapleton reminded him that Edith was a fictional character, Lear took a long pause and with a sad tone responded, "I don't see it that way."
Rest in peace, Jean.