Marg Helgenberger: Photo Tribute to CSI Catherine Willows

Update: Marg Helgenberger: A Look at Catherine Willows' Last 'CSI' Episode [VIDEO]

Marg Helgenberger announced last week she will be the next original character to depart the hit TV show "CSI." Helgenberger played the character Catherine Willows who was employed as a crime scene investigator supervisor.

Willows was level-3 CSI and forensic scientist in Las Vegas and a very good one at that.

Willows holds the no. 82 position on Bravo's list of 100 Greatest TV Characters. She shares that position with friend Gil Grissom, who was played by William Petersen.

Avid "CSI" watchers will be sad to see Willows leave. They have cried with her in trying times and laughed with her during her success and happiness.

Willows had a tough childhood, as she was raised by a single mother who was a waitress and a showgirl. A very intelligent and witty person, Willows' true potential wasn't seen when she was younger because her mother's demanding job prevented her from being settled in school.

Eventually Willows became an exotic dancer and found herself as the breadwinner for her and her dreamer boyfriend.

Willows then found a love for crime scene investigation and returned to school, graduating West Las Vegas University with a Medical Science degree and then joined the CSI team at the Las Vegas Police Department.

Willows worked her way up from a lab technician to a supervisor under Gil Grissom's tutelage.

Willows also struggled as a mother to raise her only child, Lindsey. She also later found out her father was a casino boss, who was later gunned down. Her father left her a portion of his business before dying.

After years of picking the wrong men, Willows finally fell in love with Det. Vartann, played by Alex Carter. It was the happiest she has ever been after losing her good friend Warrick Brown, played by Gary Dourdan, who died in season 9.

Viewers cried with Willows when she first saw Brown's lifeless body after he was killed by dirty Undersheriff Jeffry McKeen, in a back alley inside his car. Brown had figured out that someone high up in the police force had connections with mafia boss Lou Gedda.

"That's what makes you a great CSI," McKeen told Brown before shooting him twice and walking away.

There was no one who could have given more life to Willows that Helgenberger. She was a perfect fit for the role and she brought out the best in the character she began playing in 2000.

Helgenberger recently wrapped her 263rd episode to be aired on Jan. 25, Entertainment Weekly reported.

She was given a proper send off by the cast and will get to keep the vest and badge that Willows wore, EW reported.

"I've been thinking a lot about this moment for a very long time," Helgenberger said. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the time of my life."

There have been reports that Oscar nominee Elisabeth Shue will join the "CSI" cast as a replacement for Helgenberger, making her first appearance on an episode that will air on Feb. 15, AolTV reported.

Start the slideshow to see Marg Helgenberger's evolution over the years.

Actress Marg Helgenberger blows a kiss as she arrives at the 54th annual Emmy Awards, September 22, 2002 in Los Angeles. Helgenberger stars in "CSI Crime Scene Investigation" which is nominated as Best Drama Series.

Actress Marg Helgenberger arrives at the eighth annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles March 10, 2002. Helgenberger stars in "CSI Crime Scene Investigation," which was nominated for outstanding ensemble performance in a drama series.

Actress Marg Helgenberger, one of the stars of the new film "Erin Brockovich", arrives for the film's premiere March 14 in Los Angeles. The film, based on a true story, is about a woman who brought a small town to its feet and a huge company to its knees, after discovering the town was using contaminated water. Julia Roberts portrays Erin Brockovich in the film.

Actress Marg Helgenberger arrives at the 54th annual Emmy Awards September 22, 2002 in Los Angeles. Helgenberger stars in "CSI Crime Scene Investigation" which is nominated as Best Drama Series.

Actress Marg Helgenberger of "C.S.I" arrives at the 3rd annual TV Guide Awards, February 24, 2001 in Los Angeles. The award show winners were chosen by fans from over 30 million ballots submitted to TV Guide magazine and online. The show will be telecast in the United States March 7 on the Fox network.

Ted Danson (L) and Marg Helgenberger, cast members of 'CSI Crime Scene Investigation', speak during a panel discussion at the CBS Television Network's 2011 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour in Beverly Hills, California August 3, 2011.

Actresses Marg Helgenberger (L) and Jorja Fox, stars of the television drama 'CSI Crime Scene Investigation' perform 'Stand By Me' at the 'What A Pair! 4' celebration of duets in Los Angeles June 11, 2006. The event features songs from Broadway sung by women in a benefit for breast cancer research at the John Wayne Cancer Institute.

Actress Marg Helgenberger gestures during the panel for the CBS television show 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' at the 'Television Critics Association' summer 2006 media tour in Pasadena, California July 16, 2006. The seventh season of the show begins in the fall of 2006.

Cast member Marg Helgenberger smiles at the premiere of "Mr. Brooks" at the Grauman's Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California May 22, 2007. The movie opens in the U.S. on June 1.

Actress Marg Helgenberger arrives at the 14th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles January 27, 2008.

Jorja Fox (L) and Marg Helgenberger of "CSI" hold up their awards during the 11th annual Screen Actors Guild awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles February 5, 2005. "CSI" won for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series.

Marg Helgenberger (L) and William Petersen from the cast of CSI sit together at the 14th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles January 27, 2008.

Marg Helgenberger accepts the award for favorite TV Drama for "CSI:Crime Scene Investigation,"during the 31st annual People's Choice Awards at the Pasadena Civic Center in Pasadena, California January 9, 2005.