Tedi Thurman

Tedi Thurman. After a long and colorful life, former cover girl and radio personality, Tedi Thurman, passed away peacefully on September 17, in Palm Springs, Calif. Born in Midville, Ga., Dorothy Ruth (Dot, to her family), was the youngest of the four children of Ben and Para Thurman. As a teenager, Tedi discovered a passion for art and drawing and went on to study at the University of Georgia before transferring to the Corcoran Institute in Washington, DC. Her plans soon changed, however, and she moved to New York City where she quickly found work as a model, represented by Ford Models. Tedi's image was soon seen on the covers of Vogue and Cosmopolitan. During an extended stay in France, Tedi also found work in Paris for Vogue and made a name for herself internationally. Her profile is featured on the opening page of Norman Mailer's Of Women and Their Elegance. To become an actress was her ultimate goal, and Tedi did have a featured role in Ed Wood's Jail Bait. It was on radio, though,that Tedi became most successful as "Miss Monitor' on NBC's Monitor show where she famously made national weather reports with her deep and sultry voice and always began with Atlanta in tribute to her Georgia roots. This led to a year long engagement as the weather girl on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar beginning in 1957. After retiring from radio and television, Tedi lived in New York for several years. In the 80s, Tedi relocated to California where she lived in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. From there, she traveled often and extensively. Tedi returned to Georgia many times in the last several years. Her family always enjoyed her stories of her youth in Midville, and also of the great and famous with whom she had rubbed shoulders. Tedi was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Vida Prevatt, her brothers Ben and Sidney Thurman, and niece Linda Waller. She is survived by her long time companion, Elke Schliwa, of Los Angeles and Palm Springs. A graveside service will be held in Georgia.