Marcia Wallace | Character and voice actor, 70

Marcia Wallace, 70, the voice of scoffing schoolteacher Edna Krabappel on The Simpsons, whose wise-cracking characters on The Bob Newhart Show and other hits endeared her to generations of TV viewers, has died.

Simpsons executive producer Al Jean said in a statement Saturday that her "irreplaceable character," the fourth-grade teacher who contended with Bart Simpson's constant antics, would be retired from the show. "I was tremendously saddened to learn this morning of the passing of the brilliant and gracious Marcia Wallace. She was beloved by all at The Simpsons," Jean said. The statement did not provide a date for her death, or a cause.

The longtime actress' credits included a receptionist on The Bob Newhart Show and appearances on Candice Bergen's Murphy Brown.

On The Simpsons, Ms. Wallace provided the voice for world-weary Edna Krabappel, who smoked cigarettes, made sarcastic comments, and finally found love in the arms of the Simpsons' neighbor Ned Flanders after fans voted online at the end of season 22 to keep the unlikely couple together.

Ms. Wallace's trademark "Ha!" punctuated Krabappel's frequent wisecracks, and her character was also known for the catchphrase, "Do what I mean, not what I say."

Harry Shearer, the voice of Ned Flanders on the show, said Ms. Wallace "brought this huge, positive energy" to her work on The Simpsons. "She was just a warm and wonderful person," he told the Associated Press. - AP