Lory Patrick Passes On

Lory Patrick, who played Tina Swenson on the final season of Tales of Wells Fargo and guest starred on several TV shows in the Sixties, died on January 26, 2026, at the age of 92. She had been married to writer Harlan Ellison briefly and was the widow of actor Dean Jones.

Lory Patrick was born Loretta Basham on April 8, 1933, in Beckley, West Virginia. She graduated from Oak Hill High School in Oak Hill, West Virginia, and then worked as a model in Detroit and New York City. She was a model on the NBC game show Split Personality, shot in New York City, before moving to Los Angeles. 

Lory Patrick made her television debut on an episode of The Loretta Young Show. She played the role of school teacher Tina Swenson,. a neighbour of lead character Jim Hardie (Dale Robertson), on Tales of Well Fargo during the 1962-1963 season (its final season). She guest starred on the shows The Case of the Dangerous Robin, General Electric Theatre, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Wide Country, Aloca Premiere, It's a Man's World, Dobie Gillis, Laramie, Wagon Train, Death Valley Days, Dr. Kildare, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza, and This is the Life. She appeared in the movies Surf Party (1964) and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967).

Lory Patrick retired from acting in the late Sixties. She wrote episodes of Bonanza and other TV shows. She wrote a column for writer's magazine and, as Lory Basham Jones, wrote the book Hearing God (1993).

Chances are good that Lory Patrick will always be best remembered as Tina on Tales of Wells Fargo and her guest appearance on the Bonanza episode "Journey to Terror." The two roles could not be more different. Tina on Tales of Wells Fargo was a sweet, intelligent, and upstanding young woman. Rita was part of a band of outlaws and was as ruthless as the men were. In the Dobie Gillis episode "Too Many Kooks Spoil the Broth," she played rich girl Cecily Atwater, who fully expects Dobie to become a wealthy executive. In the Wagon Tain episode "The Levy-McGowan Story," she played Rachel Levy, who falls in love with the son of her father's rival in the game of checkers. Lory Patrick also played Nurse Betty Taylor in a few episodes of Dr. Kildare and Sylvia Dempster in the movie Surf Party. While her acting career did not last long, she leaves behind a number of enjoyable performances.