West Tennessee native Dixie Carter, a seasoned actress best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker on Designing Women, has passed away at the age of 70.  She was married to actor Hal Holbrook for the past 26 years according to ET.

“This has been a terrible blow to our family,” her husband Hal Holbrook tells ET. “We would appreciate everyone understanding that this is a private family tragedy. Thank you.”

Carter was born in McLemoresville, Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee, Rhodes College, and received a degree in English from Memphis State.  She was the 1st runner up in the 1959 Miss Tennessee Pageant.

Before Holbrook she was married twice before to Arthur Carter and George Hearn.

She is also survived by her two daughters Mary Dixie and Ginna.

The family has not released Dixie’s cause of death.  Although it is suspected to be endometrial cancer.

More Photos of Dixie and Hal

[images: wenn.com]