Virginia Patton, who played Ruth Dakin Bailey, George Bailey’s step-family, in Jimmy Stewart’s Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life, has died.
According to Mathews Funeral Home, Patton died unexpectedly Thursday at an assisted living facility in Albany, Georgia.
Karolyn Grimes, who co-starred with Moss as a young child actor in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” shared her views on Facebook after Legacy went public with the news of Moss’ disappearance.
Now that we have two angels, According to Grimes, Mrs. Virginia Patton Moss was 97 years old. She is currently with Cruse, her devoted husband. His absence will be deeply felt.
Virginia Patton Moss
Virginia Patton Moss Net Worth Of Her Acting Career Before Death
Considering her six-year acting career and other professional pursuits, actress Virginia might have left her heirs with a sizable estate.
Internet auctions estimate his worth between $1 million and $5 million, despite the fact that his net worth and professional income are not known for certain.
Due to “It’s a Wonderful Life” being screened many times over Christmas for many years, Patton claimed, “I’ve probably been to more houses than even Santa Claus.”
Patton declared his retirement from acting in The Lucky Stiff after playing the female lead in the Ku Klux Klan film The Burning Cross (1947) and Western Black Eagle (1948). (1949).
Patton was a professor at the University of Michigan Museum of Art in addition to serving as president and director of Patton Corp., an investment and real estate holding company.
Married to husband Cruse W. Moss and raised family in Michigan
The actress married Cruse W. Moss in 1949, three years after the film debuted, and took his last name.
Together they moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Moss started a family of three, started a business, and worked as a guide at the University of Michigan Museum of Art.
Essentially, Cruse and Cruse were married for 69 years before Cruse passed away in 2018.
In response to a question about why she quit acting in 2012, Moss said, “I couldn’t imagine myself doing this for my life.” “I wanted to be who I am perfectly. Ann Arbor, Michigan is blessed with a wonderful wife, wonderful children, and a wonderful neighbor. I put a lot of effort into the community.
According to Moss’ husband, Cruse W. Moss, Virginia was the only girl Frank Capra hired individually in 2012.
“All the other actors in the film were loanees from another studio. However, Ginny was not present when Frank Capra signed her on for this film.
Moss’ death has been confirmed by Legacy
Obituary: It’s a wonderful life The actress’ death is age-related
The actress’ advanced age is believed to have contributed to her death at the age of 97. Although the news of his death was reported, the cause of his death remained a mystery.
Additionally, after hearing about her passing, fans and netizens shared obituaries for the kind-hearted woman who was the final adult cast member of “It’s Wonderful Life.”
In this regard, Mike Spinney, a former member of the US Navy Intel, tweeted: “#RIP to the last surviving adult actor of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.”
“Virginia Patton (Moss), who played Ruth Dakin Bailey in the film, died last week in Albany, GA at the age of 97. It would be unfortunate if @Variety overlooked this.
Virginia Patton Organic
Virginia Ann Marie Patton was an American actress and entrepreneur who lived from June 25, 1925 to August 18, 2022. She made guest appearances in several films in the early 1940s before being cast as Ruth Dakin Bailey in Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, which became his best-known role (1946). Patton ceased performing in 1949, with The Lucky Stiff as his final film role (1949).
| Born |
Virginia Ann Marie Patton June 25, 1925 Cleveland, Ohio, USA |
|---|---|
| deceased | August 18, 2022 (97 years old)
Albany, Georgia, USA |
| foster mother |
|
| Occupation | Actress, businesswoman |
| active years | 1943-1949 |
| Famous for | It’s a wonderful life |
Early life
On June 25, 1925, Virginia Ann Marie Patton was born in Cleveland, Ohio to parents Marie (née Cain) and Donald Patton. Her middle name was Mary. She moved with her family when she was very small to the city of Portland, Oregon, which was her father’s hometown. She was raised there. She is part of the Patton family and is the general’s niece. After graduating from Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon, Patton moved to Los Angeles, California to attend the University of Southern California. There she worked as a nurse (USC).
Career
Patton began trying out for acting roles while still enrolled at the University of Southern California. During her college years, she worked on plays with screenwriter William C. DeMille. She made a few minor film appearances before being cast in Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) as Ruth Dakin Bailey, wife of George Bailey’s younger brother, Harry. Her role in the film was rather minor. Even though Capra had no personal relationship with Patton, he hired her after hearing her read the role and signing her to a contract. Patton later revealed that the legendary director had only signed one other girl in his entire career, and that girl was her. Patton was the only adult performer in the 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life for which credit was given after his death. He continued to give interviews on the film (a number of child actors are still alive).
After “It’s a Wonderful Life”, Patton only appeared in four films, the most notable of which was B-Western Black Eagle, in which she played the lead role (1948). She had a role in the 1946 drama film The Burning Cross, which was about a World War II veteran who, upon returning to his hometown, becomes involved in the Ku Klux Klan.
Private life
From 1949 until the death of Cruse W. Moss in 2018, Patton was married to the love of his late wife’s name. In the late 1940s, she decided to focus on raising a family in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her husband instead of pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. After that, she was educated at the University of Michigan.
Patton died on August 18, 2022, at the age of 97.
Virginia Patton dies – The last surviving adult cast member of It’s a Wonderful Life was 97
