Child star Kami Cotler shares memories of Ralph Waite, best known for playing big-hearted patriarch John Walton in The Waltons, who passed away in 2014. Ralph Waite, ...

Actress Kami Cotler, now 59, played Elizabeth Walton, the youngest daughter on the series. She's pictured here with the braids, on the left, and actress Mary McDonough , who played her on-screen ...

Kami Cotler starred in The Waltons (Image: CBS ) The Waltons first aired in 1974 and became an instant hit across the United States before taking UK viewers by storm when it landed on the BBC.

Kami Cotler, who was 6 years old when she first starred as youngest sibling Elizabeth in a 1971 holiday TV movie that launched the series, still interacts regularly with such fans via her Facebook ...

Some childhood actors turn to drugs. Others stay in show business. Kami Cotler became a middle school principal in Inglewood. Unbeknown to most of her students, Cotler, principal of Environmental C… ...

For child actors such as Mary Beth McDonough and Kami Cotler, filming the TV series was sometimes an adventure, even when the cameras weren’t rolling.

Kami Cotler, who was 6 years old when she first starred as youngest sibling Elizabeth in a 1971 holiday TV movie that launched the series, still interacts regularly with such fans via her Facebook ...

While many of the TV show's actors grew up and moved on to other careers, "the cast still feel like a family," Cotler said. "Each year, they travel to regional events to meet and greet fans, share ...