Carol Serling, the widow of The Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling, passed away on January 9, 2020, according to her daughter, Anne Serling. She was 91 years old.

Carol grew up in Columbus, Ohio and met Rod while studying at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. There, she earned a degree in elementary education while Rod earned his in languages and literature. They married in 1948 and were together until Rod’s death in 1975.

Once Rod reached success with The Twilight Zone, Carol was credited with keeping him grounded. A 1959 Binghamton Press report titled “Carol Serling Keeps Rod in Line” noted that she teased him about his fancy new car and that they papered their bathroom with rejection slips as a reminder of the past.

She spent several years volunteering at the Santa Monica hospital gift shop and later helped with a suicide prevention organization.

After Rod’s passing, she routinely tried to keep his memory alive with The Twilight Zone Magazine, serving as the editor from 1981 to ’89, and when the show was rebooted in the ’90s she shared some classic material she’d found, which was aired as a special. She donated some of Rod’s work to Ithaca College, which led to the creation of the Rod Serling Archives at Ithaca College, featuring original scripts, voice recordings, and more.