Beloved Bonanza and Wagon Train actress dies at 92

🕊️ Remembering Lory Patrick: A Life of Grace, Grit, and Faith

Hollywood is saying goodbye to one of the familiar faces of television’s golden age. Actress and former model Lory Patrick has passed away at the age of 92. According to reports, she died peacefully on January 26 at her home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, surrounded by family.

For generations of viewers, Patrick represented an era when television blended warmth, resilience, and storytelling rooted in everyday values. Her life, both on and off screen, reflected perseverance, humility, and deep personal conviction.

🌱 From Small-Town Roots to Big Dreams

Born Loretta Basham on April 8, 1933, in Beckley, West Virginia, Patrick began her journey far from Hollywood glamour. After high school, she entered the modeling world, working in Detroit and New York before setting her sights on acting.

Early on, she faced dismissive attitudes. During a film interview in New York, a producer reportedly told her, “Pretty girls can’t act.” Instead of being discouraged, Patrick used the remark as motivation.

She moved to Los Angeles determined to prove herself.

That resolve paid off when she signed with Universal Studios in the early 1960s and quickly landed her first role on The Loretta Young Show.

📺 Becoming a Familiar Television Presence

Patrick became widely known as Tina Swenson, the schoolteacher on Tales of Wells Fargo, appearing alongside Dale Robertson.

Her calm presence and natural screen warmth made her a favorite with audiences.

Over the next decade, she appeared in more than 70 television productions, guest-starring on beloved series such as:

• Bonanza

• Wagon Train

• Dr. Kildare

• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

• The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

In interviews, Patrick consistently credited discipline and persistence — not luck — for her success.

🎬 Beyond Acting: Writing, Directing, and Faith

Patrick’s creativity extended beyond acting. At a time when few women worked behind the scenes, she wrote episodes for Bonanza, helping pave the way for greater female participation in television production.

She later became a columnist for a writers’ magazine and authored the faith-based book Hearing God in 1993.

In 1984, she directed the stage production St. John in Exile, starring her husband — another example of her commitment to meaningful storytelling.

💍 A Marriage Built on Partnership and Purpose

In 1973, Patrick married actor Dean Jones, beloved for Disney classics such as That Darn Cat!, The Love Bug, and The Shaggy D.A.

The couple remained married for 42 years until Jones’s death in 2015. Together, they dedicated much of their later life to ministry and humanitarian work, serving as elders at The Church on the Way in California and helping found the Christian Rescue Fund.

Earlier in her life, Patrick was briefly married to Harlan Ellison in 1966.

🌼 A Life Beyond the Spotlight

After stepping away from acting in the late 1960s, Patrick focused on family, faith, writing, and art. Following her husband’s passing, she relocated to Gettysburg to be closer to loved ones.

She is survived by:

• Three children

• Eight grandchildren

• Nine great-grandchildren

• Three brothers and a sister

Her large and close-knit family reflected a life rooted in connection and care.

🌟 A Legacy of Quiet Strength

For many Americans raised on classic Westerns and family television, Lory Patrick remains a warm and reassuring presence from a gentler era of broadcasting.

Yet her true legacy extends far beyond her screen roles.

She was a woman who refused to be limited by stereotypes.
She built a career through perseverance.
She devoted her later years to service and faith.
She valued family over fame.

Behind the polished performances was a life shaped by purpose, resilience, and grace.

📌 Conclusion: Remembering More Than a Star

Lory Patrick’s passing marks the end of a remarkable chapter in American television history. But her story is not only about fame.

It is about determination in the face of doubt.
About choosing meaning over spotlight.
About building a life anchored in love and service.

She leaves behind not only decades of cherished performances, but a legacy defined by character, devotion, and quiet strength — one that will continue to inspire long after the cameras have stopped rolling.