Anne Schedeen, the beloved TV actress best known for playing no-nonsense mom Kate Tanner on the 1980s sitcom ALF, has died. She was 77.

The actress’ family confirmed the heartbreaking news in a post shared Sunday evening on her Facebook page, saying Schedeen had “passed peacefully.”

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share Annie has passed peacefully,” the family wrote.

Schedeen became a household face to millions of TV viewers during ALF’s four-season run on NBC from 1986 to 1990. She appeared in 101 episodes of the hit sitcom, starring alongside Andrea Elson and late co-stars Max Wright and Benji Gregory.

Wright died in 2019 at age 75. Gregory, who played Brian Tanner on the series, died in 2024 at age 46.

In the touching tribute, Schedeen’s loved ones remembered her as much more than a sitcom star. They described her as a wildly creative, funny, passionate woman who adored her family, loved little dogs, enjoyed second-hand thrifting, and never lost her sharp sense of humor.

“She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of creative energy, whip smart humor, delight in her family, adoration for little dogs, burning hatred for Trump, passion for second-hand thrifting, and love for a good story,” the family wrote.

“We are bereft without her. We loved her so so much, as did all who met her.”

Her relatives called Schedeen “a force” and said it was almost impossible to imagine life without her.

“But as she said, ‘I’m always with you.’ And she’s right,” the tribute continued.

The family said her memories, artwork, handmade jewelry, oil paintings, sculptures, costumes, laughter, and “joie de vivre” will live on.

“Raise a margarita in her honor,” they wrote. “We all love you, Annie.”

Schedeen was born in Portland, Oregon, and began performing at a young age. She studied drama and appeared on stage locally at the Portland Civic Theatre before eventually making her way into professional acting.

After a period doing dinner theater in Hawaii, she moved to New York City and performed in summer stock theater. She later headed to Los Angeles, where she signed a contract with Universal Pictures.

Her first television role came in 1974 on The Six Million Dollar Man. From there, she built a steady career throughout the 1970s and 1980s, appearing on major shows including The Bionic Woman, Marcus Welby, M.D., McCloud, The Incredible Hulk, Emergency!, Three’s Company, Cheers, Magnum, P.I., and Simon & Simon.

But it was ALF that made her unforgettable to a generation of viewers.

On the show, Schedeen played Kate Tanner, the practical and often exasperated mother trying to keep her family together while hiding a sarcastic alien from the planet Melmac in their suburban home.

In a 1988 interview with The Washington Post, Schedeen opened up about the long road to her big break.

“It was a long wait,” she said. “I sold clothes, modeled clothes, was a shoe model. I played in summer stock and did a commercial. Then I got signed by a big agent.”

She joked that after getting a contract with Universal, she thought Hollywood life would look a lot more glamorous.

“I thought I’d come out here, take fencing lessons, drive a small Thunderbird and sit by the swimming pool,” she said. “Instead, I was the daughter on Marcus Welby, M.D.”

Schedeen also recalled the moment she read the script for ALF and realized it was different from the usual TV pilot.

“I kept reading scripts. I almost got involved with one, then withdrew at the last minute,” she told the paper. “Then I read ALF. I said, ‘This is funny. It makes me laugh.’”

She said meeting the puppet alien sealed the deal.

“I met the people involved, I met ALF, and became more convinced I wanted to do it. That little alien made me laugh.”

Still, behind the scenes, making the hit sitcom was not always easy.

Schedeen later described the production as a “technical nightmare,” saying the process was slow, hot, and exhausting because so much of the show depended on complicated puppeteering.

A single 30-minute episode could take 20 to 25 hours to film, she said.

She also admitted the cast had its share of tension.

“Some of the actors in the cast had difficult personalities,” Schedeen once said, describing the show as “a big, dysfunctional family.”

After ALF ended, Schedeen continued acting, appearing in projects including Judging Amy, Tiny Nuts, and the reunion special ALF on ALF.

Her agent, Tom Markley, paid tribute to the actress in a statement to Deadline.

“Annie meant the world to her family and this agency,” he said.

Schedeen is survived by her husband of 55 years, Christopher Barrett, her daughter Tay Barrett, daughter-in-law Hilary Flynn, sister Sarabeth Schedeen, niece Minnie Land, brother Roland “Tony” Schedeen, sister-in-law Julieann Schedeen, and her beloved rescue dogs Roo and Red.

Her family asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to one of Schedeen’s favorite causes, Habitat for Humanity.