Nancy Maryanne Dow (July 22, 1936 – May 25, 2016) was an American actress who appeared in a small number of films and television shows. She was married to actor

John Aniston John Anthony Aniston (born Yannis Anastassakis, , July 24, 1933 – November 11, 2022) was a Greek-born American actor who played Victor Kiriakis on the NBC daytime drama series ''Days of Our Lives'', which he originated in July 1985 and played ...

with whom she had a daughter,

Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...

Early life

Dow was born in

West Hartford, Connecticut West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census. The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The C ...

, one of six daughters of Louise (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Grieco) and Gordon McLean Dow. Her maternal grandfather, Louis Grieco, was an Italian immigrant; her other ancestry included English, Scottish and Irish. Dow had five sisters: Linda, Martha, Sally, Joan and Jean.

Career

Dow was an actress, model and author. Dow acted in a few television shows, including '' The Beverly Hillbillies'', where she played Athena in one episode.

Personal life

Dow was also married to John T. "Jack" Melick Jr., a pianist-bandleader who was based in Dallas from 1956 to 1961.Interview with John T. Melick, Jr, June 2011 The couple had one son, John T. Melick III (born 1959), an assistant director and second-unit director. Dow and her daughter Jennifer were estranged for six years, partially because Dow wrote a book about their relationship, entitled ''From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir'' (1999). In 2005, after Aniston's divorce from

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...

, she and her mother reportedly reconciled. Aniston described the gradual progress of her new relationship with her mother: "It's been really nice. It's crazy what, you know, your life kind of being turned upside down will lead you to. ... For us it's ... It was the time and it was going to happen when it was supposed to happen. So this is good. It's baby steps."

Health and death

In 2011 and 2012, Dow had several

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

s, which affected her ability to speak and walk. On the morning of May 25, 2016, she was taken by ambulance from her home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles. She died two days later at 79 years old.Jennifer Aniston's Mother Nancy Dow Has Died: She 'Passed Peacefully Surrounded by Family and Friends,' Says Actress
People.com; May 25, 2016.

Filmography

*'' The Beverly Hillbillies'' (1966) (TV series) – Athena *''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...

'' (1967) (TV series) – Tersa *'' The Ice House'' (1969) – Jan Wilson *''Pure'' (2004) – Lynne

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dow, Nancy Jennifer Aniston 1936 births 2016 deaths 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Connecticut American film actresses American people of English descent American people of Irish descent American people of Italian descent American people of Scottish descent American television actresses People from West Hartford, Connecticut