Everybody Loves Raymond star and Emmy-winning actress Doris Roberts dies at 90

American actor Doris Roberts, better known for her role as the loving yet meddling mother of Ray Romano in the popular sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, passed away on 17 April due to natural causes. The 90-year-old actor had been much more than an on-screen mother to Romano, who remembers her affectionately.

"Doris Roberts had an energy and a spirit that amazed me. She never stopped," Romano, who plays the title character in the show, told the People magazine. "Whether working professionally or with her many charities, or just nurturing and mentoring a young, green comic trying to make it as an actor, she did it all with such a grand love for life and people and I will miss her dearly," he added.

Roberts' co-stars in the popular CBS show, Romano and Patricia Heaton, were among the first to react to her demise. Heaton took to the microblogging site Twitter to express her affection for the late actress: "Truly the end of an era. My wonderful TV mother-in-law and ELR nemesis Doris Roberts was a consummate professional from whom I learned so much."

Over a period of more than six decades, the celebrated actress won five Emmys, four for her playing the role of the sharp-tongued Marie Barone — mother of Raymond. Roberts had bagged an early Emmy at the beginning of her career for the role of a supporting actress in NBC's St Elsewhere. She had several other shows and movies to her credit including Remington Steele, Grey's Anatomy, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

She was a popular figure on Broadway as well. Her career on the stage included shows like The Desk Set, and The Last Of The Red Hot Lovers for which she was honoured with the Outer Critics Circle Award.

The actress, who was also the author of the 2005 book Are You Hungry, Dear? Life, Laughs And Lasagna, is survived by her son Michael, daughter-in-law Jane and three grandchildren.