Sad to read that Denise Nickerson of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory fame — she was Violet, who turned violet, Violet — has died at just 62.

She's the first of the Wonka kids to die.

I know she'd been in poor health for probably a decade or more. When I met her at Chiller Theatre eight years ago, she was a delight, but even in our picture together, you can see she had a personal X-ray sitting by her, and I recall there was much open discussion of her health woes.

Full obit here.