Hollywood is saying goodbye to one of its familiar faces from the golden age of television.Actress and former model Lory Patrick has died at the age of 92. According to reports, she passed away peacefully on January 26 at her home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, surrounded by family.Producers dismissed herBorn Loretta Basham on April 8, 1933, in Beckley, West Virginia, Patrick’s journey to Hollywood began in the world of modeling.After finishing high school, Lory launched her career in Detroit and New York.In the Big Apple, the young and striking Lory attended a film interview, only to be dismissed by a producer who sneered, “Pretty girls can’t act.”Determined to prove them wrong, Lory defied the stereotype. She packed her bags and headed west to Los Angeles, chasing her dream of becoming a star.

It didn’t take long for her to land a contract with Universal Studios in the early 1960s. In fact, it only took her three days to land her very first role on The Loretta Young Show.After that, television audiences quickly came to know her as schoolteacher Tina Swenson on NBC’s hit Western Tales of Wells Fargo, where she appeared alongside Dale Robertson during the show’s final season.
More than 70 television appearancesIn a 1961 interview, Patrick emphasized that it was her perseverance and hard work that opened the doors to acting, not just “plain luck.”She went on to guest-star in many of the era’s most beloved series, including Bonanza, Wagon Train, Dr. Kildare, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.