Fans Mourn Death of Elizabeth Taylor

As news spread of Elizabeth Taylor's early-morning death, a swarm of media and fans began to gather at the film icon's Walk of Fame star in Hollywood.

Taylor, 79, died of congestive heart failure at 1:28 a.m. Wednesday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She had been hospitalized for more than a month.

Taylor's children—Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd and Maria Burton—were with her at the hospital when she died, according to her publicist, Sally Morrison.

The two-time Oscar winner is also survived by 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Olivia Funtanellas, who was visiting from San Francisco, stopped by Taylor's star after she heard the news in a text from her mom.

“I didn’t think it would be like this,” she said, referring to the crowd that had gathered at the star, which is located in front of 6336 Hollywood Blvd. "I was here last year, and this was just like it with Michael Jackson, but it makes sense because she was the last living major Hollywood star."

Myra Renton, who was visiting from Ottowa, Canada, was sightseeing along Hollywood Boulevard with her husband when they came across the scene at Taylor's star.

"We were just passing by and were a bit shocked to learn she had died," Renton said. "I think she was a marvelous woman. I love her acting, but more for her perseverance of life."

Renton said she admired Taylor's ability to overcome illnesses and hardships.

A wreath of violet hydrangeas and orchids was left on Taylor's star. The colors were chosen as a tribute to her "piercing violet-blue eyes," said Leron Gubler, president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Taylor's star was among the original 1,500 installed on the Walk of Fame in 1960, Gubler said.

"She was one of the superstars in early Hollywood. She represented glamour. She represented class," he said. "We saw her grow up in her first movies from the time she was a teenager until I think her final movie in The Flintstones, back in 1994. In that interim, she had some great roles, from National Velvet to Giant, A Place in the Sun, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Cleopatra. We could go on and on."

Taylor will also be remembered for her philanthropic efforts, Gubler said.

"She was one of the original pioneers in fighting AIDS when it was not popular to do that," he said. "Later on, everybody jumped on board. She was there in the early days of the AIDS fight, saying this is a war that everyone should be fighting. There's a lot to admire about her."

This report was compiled with information from City News Service.

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