Nancy Dow

American actress (1936–2016)

Nancy Dow

Publicity Photo of Nancy Dow

Born|

Nancy Maryanne Dow

(1936-07-22)July 22, 1936

West Hartford, Connecticut,[1] U.S.

Died| May 27, 2016(2016-05-27) (aged 79)

Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Other names| Nancy Aniston
Occupation| Actress
Years active| 1966–2004
Spouses|

Jack Melick

(m. 1956; div. 1961)​

John Aniston

(m. 1965; div. 1980)​

Children| 2, including Jennifer Aniston

Nancy Maryanne Dow[citation needed] (July 22, 1936 – May 27, 2016) was an American television and film actress. She was married to actor John Aniston and was the mother of actress Jennifer Aniston.[2]

## Early life

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Dow was born in West Hartford, Connecticut, one of six daughters of Louise (née Grieco) and Gordon McLean Dow. Her maternal grandfather, Louis Grieco, was an Italian immigrant;[3] her other ancestry included English, Scottish and Irish.[4] Dow had five sisters: Linda, Martha, Sally, Joan, and Jean.[citation needed]

## Career

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This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2021)

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Dow was an actress, a model, and an author. She acted in a few television shows, including The Beverly Hillbillies, in which she played Athena in one episode. [5][6]

## Personal life

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Dow was also married to John T. "Jack" Melick Jr., a pianist/bandleader who was based in Dallas from 1956 to 1961.[7] The couple had one son, John T. Melick III (b. 1959),[7] 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).[8] In 2005, after Aniston's divorce from Brad Pitt, 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."[9]

## Health and death

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In 2011 and 2012, Dow had several strokes 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.[10]

## Filmography

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* The Beverly Hillbillies (1966) (TV series) – Athena
* The Wild Wild West (1967) (TV series) – Tersa
* The Ice House (1969) – Jan Wilson
* Pure (2004) – Lynne

## References

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1. ^ "FamilySearch.org".
2. ^ "Jennifer Aniston's Mother Nancy Dow Dies at Age 79". E! Online. May 26, 2016.
3. ^ Aniston, Nancy (September 1, 1999). "Chapter 2: Switching Focus". From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir (1st ed.). Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. p. 32\. ISBN 1573927724. "My maternal grandfather, Louis Grieco, was a hardworking Italian immigrant who came from Melitto, Italy, around the turn of the century."
4. ^ Stated on Inside the Actors Studio, can be viewed at http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/arFg6tAWzbY/
5. ^ "Nancy Dow". Television Academy. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
6. ^ "All About Jennifer Aniston's Parents, John Aniston and Nancy Dow". People. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
7. ^ a b Interview with John T. Melick, Jr, June 2011
8. ^ "Not even friends", fact.on.ca; accessed May 27, 2016.
9. ^ Jennifer Aniston finds peace after Brad, abcnews.go.com; accessed May 27, 2016.
10. ^ Jennifer Aniston's Mother Nancy Dow Has Died: She 'Passed Peacefully Surrounded by Family and Friends,' Says Actress, People. May 25, 2016.

## External links

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* Nancy Dow at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Jennifer Aniston

* Filmography
* Awards and nominations

Films|

| Directed|

* "Mia" in Five (2011)

|

Produced|

* Murder Mystery 2 (2023)

Related|

* Rachel Green
* Plan B Entertainment
* Echo Films
* Jennifer Aniston Goes Viral
* The Morning Show
* Nancy Dow (mother)
* John Aniston (father)

*[m.]: married
*[div.]: divorced
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*[t]: Discuss this template
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