Who Is Tess Curtis White? An Unexplored Fact On Betty White’s Mother

Tess Curtis White was the proud mother of Betty White, one of the most famous Hollywood figures. Tess who worked as a homemaker was always the first to support her only child at her every step. From reading commercials for radios to appearing in minor roles in plays, or Betty’s breakthrough in the industry with the sitcom Life With Elizabeth, Tess was always a helping hand.

Well, as a mother of a successful figure, Tess’ life has always been a subject. She was married to an electrical engineer and they were in a marital relationship for over 4 decades. Apart from this, there are a lot more to her life that has not been in knowledge by numerous individuals.

So, continue reading the article to uncover more hidden facts about Betty White’s mom, Tess Curtis White. Stick with us till the end to learn about her birthday, husband, fortune, lifestyle, and others.

What Is Tess Curtis White’s Real Name?

Tess Curtis White’s full name is Tess Christine Cachikis. She changed her last name to White after marriage. She was born on the 25th of July 1899, under the birth sign Leo.

Talking about her parents, Tess was the daughter of an ice cream salesman father, Nicholas Cachikis, and a homemaker mother, Maggie Curtis-Cachikis (Hobbs) aka Margaret Cachikis (Hobbs).

Talking about her nationality, Curtis was an American. As far as her ethnical background is concerned, she belonged to mixed ethnicity. She had Welsh and English origins.

Did She Have Any Siblings?

The celebrity’s mother was the elder among two siblings. She had a younger brother named Thomas Richard Cachikis (Tom R. Curtis).

He was born on March 14, 1907, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States. At the age of 69, her only brother died on May 6, 1966, in Los Angeles County, California.

Tess Curtis White Cause Of Death

Curtis White was at the age of 86 during her demise. She took her last breath on November 11, 1985, in Los Angeles, California.

Tess had a natural death as per the reports. Her burial is at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Tess Is Most Famous As The Mother Of Actress Betty White

As Tess Curtis was a housewife, she was not involved in any professions. The only reason behind her limelight was her daughter. Her first child Betty White was an American actress-comedian who was active in the industry from 1939 to 2021.

The actress began her professional journey reading commercials for radios. She then started playing minor roles in plays after getting rejected by film companies. Immediately after 3 months of her graduation, she made her debut on television singing songs from an opera called The Merry Widow.

Throughout the 1950s, Tess’ daughter mostly appeared in several television commercials including advertisements for Dr. Ross Dog Food. After she produced a sitcom, Life With Elizabeth, she became the first woman in the field to work both in front of and behind the camera.

The “First Lady of Television” is widely popular for her roles in The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973-1977), The Golden Girls (1985-1992), Lake Placid (1999), and The Proposal (2009). She last appeared in the short TV series, Forky Asks a Question in the year 2019.

Tess Curtis White’s Daughter Has Won Emmy  & Other Prestigious Awards

Betty White, a pioneer of early TV with a career span of over 8 decades is noted for her epic work and accomplishments in the entertainment industry. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

During her acting and comedic career, she earned 7 Emmy Awards in various categories like Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Game Show Host, Los Angeles Emmy Award for Outstanding Personality, and Best Actress in a Comedy Series.

Additionally, she received a couple of Screen Actors Guild Awards in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. Back in 2011, she also won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Recording category for releasing her book titled If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t).

Tess Curtis Was Married To Husband Horace Logan

Tess Curtis White’s husband was Horace Logan. The couple exchanged wedding vows on February 17, 1921. The ceremony was a private held in the presence of their family, close relatives, and friends.

White shared a close and unbreakable bond with her husband. Talking of her spouse, he was an electrical engineer who served as an executive sales representative in a lightning company. The couple happily spent more than 4 decades of their marital life until Logan’s death.

Her husband died on November 16, 1963, in Los Angeles Country, California. Since then, Tess has never married anyone again.

Tess & Horace Logan’s Only Child – Betty White

The only child of Tess and Horace, Betty White was born on January 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois. When she was at a tender age, she alongside her family moved to Alhambra and later to Los Angeles during the Great Depression.

Talking about her early life, Betty enrolled at Horace Mann Elementary School. She then graduated from Beverly Hills High School in the year 1939. While enjoying a family vacation in the Sierra Nevada, she developed an interest in wildlife.

White dreamt to become a forest ranger at that time. However, she was unable to achieve this goal because there was a restriction for women to work as forest rangers back then. Later, she discovered her love for performing after writing and portraying the lead in a graduation play at Horace Mann School. This is how she decided to establish herself as an actress.

Tess Curtis’ Daughter Betty Had Multiple Failed Relationships

One of the renowned figures in Hollywood, Betty had three unsuccessful relationships in her life. Betty was first married to a United States Army Air Forces P-38 pilot Frederick Richard (Dick) Barker on July 7, 1945.

The couple first crossed paths when the former actress was volunteering with the American Women’s Voluntary Services. As her then-spouse wanted a simple life, they immediately moved to Belle Center, Ohio. Not enjoying her life running a chicken far with Frederick, they shifted to LA and separated on December 18, 1945.

Moving on in her life, White walked down the aisle with Lane Allen on November 8, 1974. Her second marriage also failed because she chose her career over family and divorced on July 17, 1949.

The Life with Elizabeth producer again tied a knot with Allen Ludden. In 1961, he met her third husband on his game show Password as a celebrity guest. She accepted the television host after he asked her a couple of times.

After saying yes to Allen, the duo made an appearance together in an episode of The Odd Couple on Password. Finally, they married on the 14th of June 1963 and lived a blissful life till Ludden’s death on June 9, 1981.

The pair had no kids together. Betty was a loving and caring mother to all three of her stepchildren: David, Martha, and Sarah Ludden. The children are the biological kids of Allen and his ex-wife Marget McGloin.

Tess Curtis White’s Child Betty’s Cause Of Death

“The Staple Panelist of American Game Shows” Betty was just two and half weeks away from celebrating her 100th birthday when she died. She was found dead on 31st December 2021 morning.

According to her death certificate, White had a stroke 6 days before her demise. She died of a cerebrovascular accident in her sleep at her house in At home, North Carmelina Avenue, Brentwood, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.

Betty White was cremated and her remains were given to Glenn Kaplan because he was entrusted to carry out her advanced health care directive.

How Was Tess Curtis’ Lifestyle Before She Passed Away?

Curtis was very private when she was alive. Looking at her daughter’s fame and successful career it seems that the celebrity mother lived a luxurious life.

Her only child Betty White reportedly had a net worth of $75 million when she was alive. She used to earn $3 million per year during her long and eminent career.