'It's a Wonderful Life' Star Virginia Patton Dies at Age 97

"It's a Wonderful Life" star Virginia Patton has died at 97.

The actor, who portrayed Ruth Dakin Bailey in the Frank Capra holiday classic, died Thursday at an assisted living facility in Albany, Georgia, the Mathews Funeral Home announced.

"Virginia touched so many lives with her gifts of kindness and grace," her obituary read. "She will always be remembered for her warm hugs, her zest for life, her elegance, and her deep faith in God. Virginia's presence made any gathering extra special, and her passion for family and friends was immeasurable."

Born in Cleveland, Ohio,  on June 25, 1925, Patton was raised in Portland, Oregon, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting after graduating from Jefferson High School in 1942, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

She signed with Warner Bros. and made her movie debut in the 1943 musical "Thank Your Lucky Stars," which was followed by roles in "Janie" (1944), "Hollywood Canteen" (1944), and "The Horn Blows at Midnight" (1945). 

Patton's breakthrough, which ultimately put her on Capra's radar, however, was not in film but in a play written by William C. De Mille, brother of Cecil B. De Mille. At the time, Capra was casting "It's a Wonderful Life" when he noticed Patton. The star recalled landing the role in a 2013 interview with the National Catholic Register.

"I read for him, and he signed me," she said, adding, "I was the only girl he ever signed in his whole career."

Patton went on to appear in several other films including "The Burning Cross" (1947), "Black Eagle" (1948), and "The Lucky Stiff "(1949), before retiring from Hollywood and moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she settled down with automotive executive Cruse W. Moss in 1949.

They had three children and were married for 69 years until Moss' death in 2018.

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