Lory Patrick Dies: ‘Surf Party’ Actress Was 92
What To Know
- Lory Patrick, best known for her role in the 1964 film Surf Party, died peacefully at age 92.
- She appeared in over 70 TV series, wrote episodes for Bonanza, and appeared in the film How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967).
- After retiring from acting, Patrick became a columnist and award-winning author, and is survived by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Lory Patrick, the actress best known for her role in the 1964 musical film Surf Party, is dead at 92.
On February 12, her family announced the news of her death, per the Daily Mail. Patrick, whose real name was Lory Basham Jones, died “peacefully” on January 26, 2025, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Patrick appeared in many TV shows during her acting career, like Wagon Train, Tales of Wells Fargo, Bonanza, Dr. Kildare, and others. In total, she appeared in more than 70 TV series, including The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, and Alcoa Presents With Fred Astaire. She also wrote episodes of the TV show Bonanza.
In Surf Party, Patrick played Sylvia Dempster opposite Bobby Vinton, Johnny Fain, and Patricia Morrow. The movie’s logline reads, “A young girl travels to California with a couple of friends in order to visit her brother. After they arrive it doesn’t take long for them to get into the swing of things and also to attract the attention of the local police sergeant.” The film featured music by bands like The Astronauts.
From left: Lory Patrick, Jackie DeShannon, Bobby Vinton, and Patricia Morrow in ‘Surf Party.’ (Everett Collection)
Film-wise, Patrick also had an acting credit as a receptionist in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967).
Patrick was married to actor Dean Jones from 1973 until his death in 2015. Jones starred in several Disney live-action films, including The Love Bug, The Shaggy D.A., and That Darn Cat! (In 1984, Patrick also directed St. John in Exile, a one-man play starring her husband.) Her first husband, Harlan Ellison, was a science-fiction writer. They married and divorced in 1966.
Following her retirement from acting, she was a columnist for a writer’s magazine and wrote a devotional book titled Hearing God, which won an “Excellence in Print” award in 2000.
Patrick is survived by her children, Caroline Jones, Deanna Demaree, and Michael Pastick; eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.