Lewis, diagnosed with uterine cancer in June, was undergoing chemotherapy when she developed pneumonia and died Sunday, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, spokeswoman Maggie Begley said.

The official announcement of Lewis' death took pains to note that she is "survived by her beloved family of characters, Lamb  Chop, Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy." While it is conceivable the characters could continue (the rights are owned by Golden Books, which bought Shari Lewis Enterprises in 1997), Lewis' colleagues said yesterday they wanted children to think of the puppets as living creatures in order to cope with news of Lewis'
death.

A public memorial will be announced after private services for the family. Condolences may be sent in care of KCET, 4401  Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles 90024.

These '90s successes capped a remarkable TV career that was nearly as long as the medium of television itself. Lewis was already on the air in her teens, winning first prize on "Arthur  Godfrey's Talent Scouts" in 1952 with a ventriloquist's dummy named Samson. She soon developed the tender sock-puppet character of Lamb Chop and won her own NBC network series -- thereafter helping raise generation after generation of  tube-watching tots, winning them over with both her beaming  personality and the amiable play of the hand puppets she brought to life.

While other puppets popular in early TV yelled and bopped each other over the head, Lewis' creations were low-key, always looking to adult Shari for guidance. Lewis spoke to children gently but never condescendingly, with a pixie-like playfulness. That helped parents enjoy her programs, too, as did Lewis' eye toward learning.

She had a British BBC series from 1968 to 1976. And her holiday specials in the '80s and '90s became public TV perennials: "Shari's Christmas Concert," "Lamb Chop in the Haunted Studio" and "Lamb Chop's Special Chanukah."

Publishing also felt her influence: Lewis wrote more than 60 children's books and created audio cassettes and home videos ("101 Things For Kids To Do"). Her interactive CD-ROM,  "Lamb Chop Loves Music," was released in 1995.

Lewis served on the national board of the Girl Scouts after leading her daughter's troop for five years, and her family has requested that donations in lieu of flowers be made to the Girl Scouts of America. She is survived by Tarcher, her husband of 40 years; daughter Mallory (who works with her parents as  "Charlie Horse" producer), and sister Barbara Okun. “Shari is also survived by her beloved family of characters, Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy,” the family said in a news release.
 
Lewis and Lamb Chop premiered on television’s “The Captain Kangaroo Show” in the mid 1950s, and that single appearance led to her own TV program, “The Shari Lewis Show,” which ran Saturday mornings on NBC. Millions of children in successive generations grew up with Lewis and her brand of playfulness and joy. She also wrote more than 60 children’s books.

During a 1986 White House Christmas party hosted by Nancy Reagan, Lewis and her puppets entertained hundreds of youngsters from around the world.

In addition to Emmys, she won a Peabody Award, the John F. Kennedy Center Award for Excellence and Creativity, seven Parents’ Choice Awards and the Action for Children’s Television Award.