Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.metro From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Dorothy Kirsten French, 82, opera star Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 15:23:03 EST Message-ID: \SE B;METROPOLITAN;OBITUARIES \HD Dorothy Kirsten French, 82, opera star Dorothy Kirsten French, 82, a diva who rose to stardom in the San Francisco and New York Metropolitan opera companies, died Nov. 18 of complications from a stroke. She devoted her career to opera but retired abruptly in 1983 to found the French Foundation for Alzheimer Research after learning that her late husband, John Douglas French, had Alzheimer's disease. Miss Kirsten made her debut in 1940 with the Chicago Opera Company but within five years had moved into prima donna roles in New York and San Francisco. In 1975, she became the first prima donna to celebrate 30 years with the Metropolitan Opera. She is best known for her roles in "Madame Butterfly," "Tosca," "Manon Lescaut" and "Girl of the Golden West." Miss Kirsten gained popularity on radio but also appeared on television variety shows, including "The Ed Sullivan Show," "The Voice of Firestone" and "Kraft Music Hall." She also appeared in movies, with Mario Lanza in "The Great Caruso" and with Bing Crosby in "Mr. Music." She was key to the design of the 148-bed John Douglas French Center for Alzheimer's Disease in Los Alamitos, Calif., the nation's first free-standing facility devoted exclusively to the disease. Miss Kirsten also served on the Congressional Advisory Panel for Alzheimer's Disease. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM