She was a star at age 12, a bride and a divorcee at 18, a superstar at 19 and a widow at 26. In all, she was married eight times — twice to Richard Burton. She was always classy and beautiful and one of my favorites because she was like one of the last of the old-fashioned movie stars. Elizabeth Taylor died today surrounded by her four children of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She had been hospitalized for about six weeks. Elizabeth Taylor was 79.      Her son, Michael Wilding, says his mother was “an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love.” He says “her spirit will always be with us.”    

     A private family funeral is planned later this week.