She was the housewife many women wanted to be, and the mom many kids wished they had.

For six years, she portayed June Cleaver on "Leave it to Beaver," keeping Wally and the Beaver in line, listening to Eddie Haskell's flirtation, all while making sure her husband Ward had a good meal every night.

The woman behind the character, Barbara Billingsley, died early Saturday. She was 94.

Billingsley had been suffering from a "long illness," according to CNN, although that illness wasn't disclosed. She died at her home in Santa Monica, Calif.

Billingsley's career began after World War II with a number of uncredited roles in films mostly forgotten by now. It wasn't until 1955 when she started to get significant roles, including a six-episode stint on the short-lived "Professional Father," and later appearing on "The Loretta Young Show" and "The Danny Thomas Show."

She joined "Leave it to Beaver" in 1957, and remained on the show through 1963, for a total of 253 episodes (that's 42 episodes per year!).

When "Beaver" ended, she took a break from acting, making a stop on a 1971 show called "The FBI" before appearing as the "Jive Lady" in the 1980 comedy spoof "Airplane!"

Billingsley would pop up again in a 1983 television movie "Still the Beaver," before spending another six years in the June Cleaver role for "The New Leave it to Beaver," which aired on TBS from 1983 to 1989.

Her last appearance was in 2003 in the film "Secret Santa" with Jennie Garth.

Despite the fact that "Beaver" aired 53 years ago, much of the original cast is still around. Jerry Mathers, who played the Beaver, is 62 now and last appeared in the 2008 television movie "The Mother Goose Parade." Tony Dow, who played Wally, is 65, and has been more of a director in recent years, including an episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Crusade."

Ken Osmond, who played Eddie Haskell, is now 67, and last appeared in the "Leave it to Beaver" remake movie in 1997.

Hugh Beaumont, the ever wise and calm Ward Cleaver, died of a heart attack in 1982 in Munich at the age of 73.

The actress and former model is survived by two sons, Drew Billingsley of Granada Hills, Calif., and Glenn Billingsley of Phillips Ranch, Calif.