Charlotte Rae Lubotsky was born in 1926 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Russian Jewish immigrant parents, Meyer and Esther Lubotsky. Her father owned an automobile tire business, while her mother was a childhood friend of future Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir.
Rae grew up in Shorewood, Wisconsin, and attended Northwestern University, where she met future actress Cloris Leachman. She dropped out of college and moved to New York City, where she began a career in stage acting.
Rae's early career included performances in plays such as "Pickwick" and "Morning, Noon and Night." She also co-starred in the TV show "Car 54, Where Are You?" and appeared in numerous guest roles on other shows.
In 1975, Rae was nominated for an Emmy Award for her supporting role in "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom." She later co-starred in "Diff'rent Strokes" and "The Facts of Life," the latter of which she starred in as the housekeeper Edna Garrett.
Rae left "The Facts of Life" in 1986 due to a health issue, and went on to appear in various stage productions, including "The Vagina Monologues" and "Pippin." She also appeared in several films, including "Tom and Jerry: The Movie" and "You Don't Mess with the Zohan."
Rae's personal life included a 35-year marriage to John Strauss, who died in 2011 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. She also survived her older sister, Beverly, who died from pancreatic cancer in 1998.
Rae continued to act until her death on August 5, 2018, at the age of 92, from bone cancer. She also suffered from asthma and scoliosis, and had been fitted with a pacemaker.
