Virginia Patton – 1925

Only one of the adults in the cast of It’s a Wonderful Life is still alive. The film was released 74 years ago, after all. Virginia Patton, who played Georgia Bailey’s sister-in-law Ruth Dakin Bailey in the film, is still alive at 96. She spoke with the National Catholic Register years ago about her time on set and her choice to leave her Hollywood investments in 1949 to raise her family in Michigan.

Before venturing into the screen, Patton worked at the University of Michigan Museum of Art as a docent. After It’s a Wonderful Life, Patton acted in a few more films before giving up acting to pursue her desire of establishing a family. She knew she’d made the proper choice.