<P> One constant throughout the show is the loyalty of father and son to each other . Even in the show's earliest episodes when one or the other leaves the house, seemingly for good (Lamont moves out at least twice, and at one point he even puts Fred in a retirement home), something always occurs to return the situation to normal . (Lamont gets homesick and worries about his father, or something does not work out and Lamont schemes his way back in, Lamont feels lonely without his father around the house thanks to a plan Fred hatched with his friend Bubba, etc .) </P> <P> Perhaps the best example of this bond between father and son occurs in the episode where a friend from Fred's past shows up and claims to be Lamont's real father . After hearing the news, Lamont tells a tearful Fred that he is "the only pop I've ever known" and as far as he is concerned, it is "always" going to be Sanford and Son . (In the humorous twist that closes the episode, it turns out the friend had actually slept with Aunt Esther, thinking she was her sister Elizabeth .) Lamont's birthday is mentioned in the third - season episode "Libra Rising All Over Lamont" as September 27, 1940 . However, in a season five episode called "Ebenezer Sanford", Lamont says his birthday is in February . </P> <Ul> <Li> Esther Anderson (LaWanda Page), also known as Aunt Esther, is the Bible - toting sister of Fred's late wife Elizabeth . Esther is a staunchly religious Baptist who finds little use for humor, though she is kind and loving towards Lamont . Fred and Esther dislike each other intensely . Fred's trademark response to Esther's entrance is to make an exaggerated grimace followed by colorful insults and comparisons to various animals ("Esther, I could stick your face in some dough and make gorilla cookies") and fictitious monsters such as King Kong (often referring to her as "Esther Kong") and Godzilla . Her usual reaction to his antics is to scowl and exclaim "watch it, sucka!". Other times, she will threaten Fred with violence, with phrases like "I'll knock you so far down in your socks, you'll think you wearing a turtleneck sweater!", or she swings her purse at Fred while angrily calling him "old fish - eyed fool" or "old heathen". When leaving the Sanford home, she often exclaims "oh glory!" or "hallelujah!" Her long - suffering but loving alcoholic husband Woodrow (played by Raymond Allen) began appearing infrequently later in the series . Woodrow eventually became sober so he and Esther could adopt a young orphan, played by Eric Laneuville . Fred and Esther called a temporary truce, of sorts, in the episode "My Fair Esther ." Esther first appeared in early 1973, in the 29th episode of the series ("The Big Party"), and would eventually replace her sister Ethel (Beah Richards), the first main in - law character . </Li> <Li> Grady Wilson (Whitman Mayo) is Fred's good - natured best friend, who appears regularly on the show . Grady's catchphrase is "Good Googley Goo" He utters this when something good happens or he is in a pleasant mood . Grady is Fred's "sidekick" and often is involved in various get - rich - quick schemes concocted by Fred . In the episode "Hello Cousin Emma, Goodbye Cousin Emma", it is revealed that Grady grew up on the south side of Chicago and in his youth was a lady's man with the nickname "The Sheik of Drexel Avenue ." Early in the series, a running gag was that Grady could never remember Lamont's name . Lamont would often correct him with a bogus name like Lucas or Lance . Later in the series, Grady's name - confusion gag was targeted at Esther . When Foxx refused to appear in several episodes due to a contract dispute, Grady became the central character, watching over the business and Lamont while Fred was "away" on vacation in St. Louis . Grady was actually named after actor Demond Wilson, whose full real name is "Grady Demond Wilson ." (The character eventually was spun off into his own eponymous TV series in December 1975 .) </Li> <Li> Bubba Bexley (Don Bexley) is another of Fred's friends who appears frequently, alternating with Grady as Fred's best friend . Bubba is known for his infectious belly - laugh and jovial personality . Bubba is primarily a straight man to set up punchlines for Fred . His loud greeting of "Hey Fred!" drives Fred and Lamont crazy . His function in several episodes is to encourage Fred's get - rich - quick schemes, as when he tells Fred to fake having whiplash after he is hit by a white man in a Cadillac while driving the truck . In the episode "Lamont Goes African", Bubba reveals that he is originally from Memphis, Tennessee . </Li> <Li> Rollo Lawson (Nathaniel Taylor) is Lamont's best friend . Fred will often make disrespectful remarks towards Rollo, usually stating that he thinks Rollo is a criminal, as Rollo had spent time in jail . At one time, when Rollo introduced Lamont to his African cultural heritage, Fred thought it was a scam and noted that "If there was money to be made, Rollo would become an Eskimo". Rollo's mother Rita is an unseen character sometimes referred to when Rollo's name comes up and someone asks "Is that Rita Lawson's boy Rollo?" and she is also friends with Lamont's aunt Esther . </Li> <Li> Donna Harris (Lynn Hamilton) is Fred's on - again, off - again girlfriend who later becomes his fiancée . She is employed as a practical nurse . Donna is an amiable, even - tempered lady who takes in stride Fred's shenanigans and occasional trysts . She also appears to be more sophisticated in contrast to Fred's rather blunt and boorish personality . Lamont, being the overprotective son, mistrusts Donna at first (branding her as "The Barracuda"), but by Season 6 has completely warmed to her . Esther is hostile toward Donna at first, almost coming to blows with her during their first meeting on Donna's and Fred's wedding day (an event that causes the cancellation of the wedding). Eventually, Esther warms to her as well . </Li> <Li> Julio Fuentes (Gregory Sierra) is the Sanfords' Puerto Rican next - door neighbor who befriends Lamont . When Julio and his family move in next to the Sanfords, Fred takes an immediate dislike to them and remarks, "There goes the neighborhood ." Despite Julio's friendliness, Fred often makes insulting ethnic jokes about Julio and openly wishes he would return to Puerto Rico, despite the fact that Julio is originally from New York City . Despite the contention, Fred does stand up for Julio's nephew at his elementary school, which has threatened to drop him to a lower grade due to lack of proficiency in speaking English; Fred tutors him for some time as well . In the fifth season, Julio moves away . The Sanfords buy his former home and convert it into a boarding house named the Sanford Arms . </Li> <Li> Ah Chew (Pat Morita) is a Japanese - American friend of Lamont whom Fred belittles every chance he gets . Fred insults Ah Chew on numerous occasions using clichéd Oriental jokes . Fred actually befriends Ah Chew in a later episode because he wants to use him as a cook when he opens "Sanford and Rising Son", a Japanese restaurant in the Sanford house . Despite this arrangement, Fred still hurls verbal abuse at Ah Chew . In the fifth - season episode "Sergeant Gork", Morita portrays Colonel Hiakowa, in a flashback where Fred tells Roger, Lamont's fiancée's son, of his supposed heroism in World War II . </Li> <Li> Officer "Smitty" Smith and Officer Howard "Hoppy" Hopkins are a pair of police officers who occasionally show up at the Sanfords' residence . One officer is African - American, Officer "Smitty" Smith (played by Hal Williams), and one Caucasian, Officer Howard "Hoppy" Hopkins (played by Howard Platt). Often, Hoppy incorrectly uses' jive' slang, which Smitty corrects--e.g., "cold" instead of "cool" or "right up" instead of "right on ." Conversely, the ever - professional Hoppy delivers a speech filled with police jargon and big words, which confuses Fred and / or Lamont thus turning to Smitty, who would translate Hoppy's speech into jive . Later in the series's run, the officers often appear individually . Unlike Ah Chew and Julio, Hoppy remains free of Fred's usual insults . In one episode, "This Little TV Went to Market", Officer "Jonesy" Jones (Bernie Hamilton) appears with Hoppy in place of Smitty . In the sixth - season episode "The Hawaii Connection", Smitty appears with his slow - witted new partner, Percy (Pat Paulsen). In "The Reverend Sanford", comic Freeman King appears as a police officer named Jim, presumably standing in for Smitty, but without Hoppy or any other partner . </Li> <Li> Officer "Swanny" Swanhauser (Noam Pitlik) is originally Officer Smitty's Caucasian partner who is replaced early in the second season with Officer Hopkins . Swanny is basically the same as Hoppy, but his demeanor is much more serious and humorless . Like Hoppy, Swanny never is insulted racially by Fred . </Li> <Li> May Hopkins (Nancy Kulp) is Officer Hopkins' prim and proper mother who appeared in the fifth season . She is a retired store detective who rents a room at the Sanford Arms next door . Landlord Fred often insults her when she pays a visit . Much like her son, Mrs. Hopkins incorrectly uses jive slang, but the more experienced Hoppy corrects her . </Li> <Li> Janet Larson (Marlene Clark) is a divorcee Lamont begins dating in the fifth season . Janet also has a young son, Roger (Edward Crawford). The Larsons appear occasionally until Lamont and Janet break up in the sixth and final season, due to the return of Janet's ex-husband . </Li> <Li> Melvin White (Slappy White) is an old buddy of Fred's who appears in the first season . He appears in one second - season episode as well . </Li> <Li> Leroy & Skillet (Leroy Daniels & Ernest' Skillet' Mayhand) are a rambunctious pair of Fred's friends who like to play poker, billiards or joke around . They appear in the second and third seasons . </Li> <Li> Otis Littlejohn (Matthew "Stymie" Beard) is a friend of Grady's who appears in the third and fourth seasons . </Li> <Li> George "Hutch" Hutton (Arnold Johnson) is an elderly tenant of the Sanford Arms who befriends Fred . When they first meet, Hutch admits to serving a lengthy sentence in prison to avoid his ugly sister - in - law . This immediately endears him to Fred . Fred is then disgusted when Hutch joins Aunt Esther's Bible study group . He appears in the fifth season . </Li> <Li> Frank Nelson appears as various comic foils to Fred in the fifth and sixth seasons using his catchphrase, "Yeeees?" </Li> <Li> Fritzi Burr appeared as various comic foils to Fred from the fourth season to the sixth . </Li> <Li> Dr. Caldwell (Davis Roberts) is the Sanford's family doctor who shows up in several early episodes . He often enters the Sanford residence with an alarming cough and his credentials as a doctor are questionable . Asked if he is really a doctor he claims "On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I'm a doctor . The other days I work in the post office ." </Li> <Li> Nelson B. Davis (James Wheaton) is a mortician who dropped by the Sanford residence several times in the second season, at one point to look at some caskets that Lamont picked up an auction . With a deep voice and a spooky laugh, he would often make odd quips in reference to his unusual profession: "It's been a slow week, business is dead" and "I must to return to my place, I'm a working stiff ." Once he told Lamont that "Burial insurance is something that everybody digs ." </Li> <Li> Reverend Trimble (Alvin Childress) is the soft - spoken minister of the Central Avenue Baptist Church who dropped by in the first two seasons, usually to officiate a wedding . The running joke was that every time he officiated a wedding for the Sanford family, the family usually ended up in a screaming match over petty disagreements which escalated into a war that left everyone fleeing the house in anger while the Reverend stood by in stunned silence . </Li> </Ul> <Li> Esther Anderson (LaWanda Page), also known as Aunt Esther, is the Bible - toting sister of Fred's late wife Elizabeth . Esther is a staunchly religious Baptist who finds little use for humor, though she is kind and loving towards Lamont . Fred and Esther dislike each other intensely . Fred's trademark response to Esther's entrance is to make an exaggerated grimace followed by colorful insults and comparisons to various animals ("Esther, I could stick your face in some dough and make gorilla cookies") and fictitious monsters such as King Kong (often referring to her as "Esther Kong") and Godzilla . Her usual reaction to his antics is to scowl and exclaim "watch it, sucka!". Other times, she will threaten Fred with violence, with phrases like "I'll knock you so far down in your socks, you'll think you wearing a turtleneck sweater!", or she swings her purse at Fred while angrily calling him "old fish - eyed fool" or "old heathen". When leaving the Sanford home, she often exclaims "oh glory!" or "hallelujah!" Her long - suffering but loving alcoholic husband Woodrow (played by Raymond Allen) began appearing infrequently later in the series . Woodrow eventually became sober so he and Esther could adopt a young orphan, played by Eric Laneuville . Fred and Esther called a temporary truce, of sorts, in the episode "My Fair Esther ." Esther first appeared in early 1973, in the 29th episode of the series ("The Big Party"), and would eventually replace her sister Ethel (Beah Richards), the first main in - law character . </Li>

What happened to the characters of sanford and son