Carol Duvall, HGTV Craft Legend, Dead At 97

Carol Duvall, arts and craft genius and one of HGTV's first stars, has passed away at age 97. Her popular show, "The Carol Duvall Show,"  debuted among the fledging network's original lineup in 1994.

Rita Ann Doerr, Duvall's former daughter-in-law, told The New York Times that Duvall had been living in an assisted living facility in Traverse City, Michigan, for several years. She passed away in the facility on July 31.

To pay homage to Duvall, HGTV shared a touching photo of the Michigan-born DIY legend on their Instagram. "Longtime HGTV host Carol Duvall died on July 31 at the age of 97," they captioned the photo. "Carol was the host of 'The Carol Duvall Show,' which ran daily on HGTV from 1994-2005. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family."

The comment section was flooded with fans celebrating the late star's life. "She was a wonderful & creative host. A real person with a great smile! May she rest with the angels but my guess is she is helping them redecorate," one fan commented. Another said, "Her show is the reason I started to watch HGTV."

Carol Duvall is credited by HGTV as the "Queen of Crafts", and for good reason. As fans of "The Carol Duvall Show" know, she was a genius when it came to using simple items lying around the house to make beautiful and unique gifts. From eye-catching handmade jewelry to delicate paper crafts, the practical Duvall was always excited to share her passion for making something out of seemingly nothing with her loyal viewers.

Duvall's career in television began long before she started working with HGTV. In 1951, she landed a spot with WOOD-TV on a children's television program called "Jiffy Carnival," per The New York Times. It wasn't long before her natural talent with the medium earned her a job on the radio and on other television shows. She worked on "Living" and "Home" before she settled into "The Carol Duvall Show" at HGTV. 

Duvall was also a writer. Her books, "Wanna Make Something Out of It?" and "Paper Crafting with Carol Duvall" shared her detailed insight on arts and crafts.