Agathe von Trapp, R. I. P.

Agathe von Trapp is dead at 97; Her musical family inspired show and film 'The Sound of Music': "Agathe von Trapp, a member of the musical family whose escape from Nazi-occupied Austria was the basis for 'The Sound of Music,' has died, a longtime friend said Wednesday.

Von Trapp, 97, died Tuesday at a hospice in the Baltimore suburb of Towson after suffering congestive heart failure in November, said Mary Louise Kane. Kane and von Trapp lived together for five decades and ran a kindergarten at the Sacred Heart Catholic parish in nearby Glyndon until 1993.

Von Trapp was the oldest daughter of Austrian naval Capt. Georg Ritter von Trapp. His seven children by his first wife, Agathe Whitehead von Trapp, were the basis for the singing family in the 1959 play and 1965 film, which won the Oscar for best picture."

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.