Nancy Maryanne Dow (July 22, 1936 – May 25, 2016) was an American actress who appeared in a small group of films and television shows. She was married to actor John Aniston with whom she had a daughter, Jennifer Aniston.
Early life
Dow was born in Connecticut, one of six daughters of Louise (née 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.
Personal life
Dow was also married to John T. “Jack” Melick Jr., a pianist-bandleader who was based in Dallas from 1956 to 1961. 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 nine 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, 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 strokes, which affected her ability to speak and walk. On the morning of May 23, 2016, she was taken by ambulance from her home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles. She died two days later at 79 years old.
Filmography
- The Beverly Hillbillies (1966) (TV series) – Athena
- The Wild Wild West (1967) (TV series) – Tersa
- The Ice House (1969) – Jan Wilson
- Pure (2004) – Lynne