Best of 2020: Ruth Buzzi Doesn’t Live in Southlake Anymore, But She’s Still a Big Fan

[Editor’s note: Merry Christmas! This week, we’re taking time off to focus on our loved ones, so we are sharing some of our favorite stories from this year. Keep an eye out for our top features from the archives as we rest and get ready for a brilliant 2021! Cheers, from Candy and the entire staff at CandysDirt.com!]

Tommy: OK, color me a fanboy of Ruth Buzzi. She was my favorite on Laugh-In (yes, I’m that old). Knowing she lived or once lived in Southlake, I’ve always wanted to interview her, but the stars never aligned. So, I was a little awestruck when she responded to my interview request. I felt like I could relate with her when she told me about the time she squared off against a Southlake HOA and the experience prompted her to move to rural Texas.

Actress Ruth Buzzi of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In fame was excited to hear that Southlake was again WalletHub’s choice as one of the top 150 Best Small Cities in America.

Buzzi is a pop-culture icon with her role as purse-swinging Gladys Ormphby on Laugh-In, winning a Golden Globe award and receiving five Emmy nominations. She also amassed scores of roles in television and movies.

Now in her 80s, she has retired to a 629-acre ranch in Erath County. But she has fond memories of living in Southlake and is a frequent visitor.

She lives with husband Kent Perkins at their 9,800-square-foot plantation-style home built by the same builder who constructed her home on St. Alban’s Path in Southlake.

In a Twitter message, Buzzi listed why she appreciated Southlake.

“Things I loved about Southlake: the best neighbors in the world. The greatest access to the best shopping in the state of Texas, maybe in the country. The biggest choice of restaurants within a 10-mile radius. Wonderful landscaping and beautiful garden work everywhere you look. Lots of groundwater, with ducks, turtles and blue herons. Almost zero crime.

She went on:

“Things I would’ve changed about Southlake: Not enough variation of roof colors, kind of boring uniformity in our opinion. And the HOAs (Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions) are a little bit over the top.”

She cited an HOA dispute in regard to seeing stacked firewood from the street that prompted the couple to list their house and buy the ranch.

But Buzzi still relishes her time in Southlake.

“I can honestly say Southlake was a fabulous place to live, and you could only be beaten by where we are now, with 14 lakes and ponds, more than a mile of beautiful creek running through the property with hundreds of acres of deep woods and horses, cattle, dogs, cats and lots of wildlife,” she says.