Sian Barbara Allen, best known for her role on The Waltons, has passed away at the age of 78.
According to an online obituary, she died from Alzheimer’s disease on Monday, March 31, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Remembered as “one of the most popular television actresses of the 1970s and ’80s” and a Golden Globe nominee, Allen spent her final year in North Carolina, surrounded by her favorite things, new friends, and cherished time with her daughter, Emily Fonseca (Max Fonseca)—more time than they’d shared in the past 35 years.
Allen’s sister, Meg Pokrass, also confirmed the heartbreaking news in a post on Facebook, writing:
“My wonderful sister, actress Sian Barbara Allen died peacefully today after a long illness. Many of you were her friends here so I wanted to let everyone know. She loved her Facebook community, loved you all. This loss is too hard.”
Sian Barbara Allen was an American actress known for her work in television and film during the 1970s and 1980s. Born Barbara Susan Levy on July 12, 1946, in Reading, Pennsylvania, she pursued acting studies at the Pasadena Playhouse from 1964 to 1965.
Allen’s early television appearances included roles in popular series such as “Gunsmoke,” “Bonanza,” and “Columbo.” In 1972, she starred in the thriller film “You’ll Like My Mother,” earning a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising New Actress. The following year, she portrayed Jenny Pendleton, a love interest of John-Boy Walton, in two episodes of “The Waltons,” acting alongside Richard Thomas.
Throughout her career, Allen appeared in various television shows, including “Hawaii Five-O,” “The Rockford Files,” and “Marcus Welby, M.D.” In 1978, she became the first woman to write a script for the TV series “Baretta.” She also starred in films such as “Billy Two Hats” (1974) and “The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case” (1976).
After retiring from acting in 1990, Allen focused on political activism, supporting causes like Jackie Goldberg’s 1993 city council campaign in Los Angeles and the United Farm Workers.
