Josephine Angela Sorbello (March 19, 1928 – January 17, 2025), known professionally as Jan Shepard, was an American actress.

Early years

Josephine Angela Sorbello was born in

Quakertown, Pennsylvania Quakertown is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of 2020, it had a population of 9,359. The borough is south of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Allentown and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Bethlehem and nor ...

, on March 19, 1928, to parents of Sicilian descent, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Sorbello. She was

valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the class rank, highest-performing student of a graduation, graduating class of an academic institution in the United States. The valedictorian is generally determined by an academic institution's grade poin ...

of her class at Quakertown High School, and acted in plays produced locally.

Career

Shepard honed her acting skills at the Pasadena Playhouse. She appeared in the films '' Sabre Jet'', as well as ''

King Creole ''King Creole'' is a 1958 American Musical film, musical drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and based on the 1952 novel ''A Stone for Danny Fisher'' by Harold Robbins. Produced by Hal B. Wallis, the film stars Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, W ...

'' (1958) and '' Paradise, Hawaiian Style'' (1966) with

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

, thus before and after his Army induction and his mother's death. She played Nurse Betty in the syndicated television series '' Dr. Christian'' and appeared in the television series '' Waterfront'', ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was bo ...

'', '' The Man Behind the Badge'', '' Tales of the Texas Rangers'', '' Private Secretary'', '' Dr. Christian'', '' Rawhide'', '' Laramie'', '' Perry Mason'', ''

Highway Patrol A highway patrol is a police unit, detail, or law enforcement agency created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways within a jurisdiction. They are also referred to in many countri ...

'', ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'', ''

Tombstone Territory ''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western television series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the seco ...

'', '' The High Chaparral '' and '' The Virginian'', among others.

Personal life and death

In 1951, Shepard met actor Ray Boyle. They married in 1954, and remained together until Boyle's death in 2022. Shepard died from pneumonia at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...

, on January 17, 2025. She was 96.

Filmography

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shepard, Jan 1928 births 2025 deaths American people of Italian descent 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American television actresses American film actresses Western (genre) film actresses Western (genre) television actors Actresses from Pennsylvania People from Quakertown, Pennsylvania People of Sicilian descent