Lester’s Army salutes a woman who was much more than just diamonds and glitz.

On March 23rd, 2011, at the age of 79, legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor’s heart finally gave up its long struggle. Her name undoubtedly brings to mind images of couture gowns, cat eyes and Egyptian headdresses, shiny Oscar statues and of course, diamonds. Elizabeth Taylor was the epitome of glamour in her day; she was also a brilliant actress, famous for her roles in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Cleopatra, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and countless others spanning an acting career that began when she was only nine years old.

Her life was not without scandal. She was married eight times to seven different men, and she struggled with alcohol abuse and a myriad of life threatening illnesses. But Elizabeth was not defined by her struggles; she was a dedicated humanitarian and one of the first celebrities to acknowledge HIV/AIDS. She devoted much of her life to raising funds to bring awareness to the public and find a cure.

We will always remember Elizabeth Taylor as an actress, a woman and a senior who fought for a cause she believed in and stayed glamorous well into her golden years.