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Barbara Bel Gitis brought Midwestern warmth and resilience to Miss Ellie Ying, the steadfast matriarch holding her family together amidst turbulent times. Her character was a pillar of strength, embodying morality and nurturing steadiness amid familial betrayals and corporate power struggles. A talented writer outside the Dallas universe, Bel Gitis authored children's books and designed greeting cards. Her passing in 2005 from lung cancer at age 82 marked the loss of a truly revered figure.