Sian Barbara Allen, Beloved Star Of “The Waltons,” Dies At Age 78

Actress Sian Barbara Allen Dies Following A Battle With Alzheimer’s Disease

Sian Barbara Allen, the actress beloved for her role in The Waltons TV series, has died. She was 78 years old.

According to an online obituary, Allen died of Alzheimer’s Disease on Monday, March 31, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The news of her passing comes a little less than a year after Tom Bower, who also starred in The Waltons, died in May 2024.

Allen’s survivors include her daughter, Emily Fonseca; her grandson, Arlo Fonseca; her sisters, Hannah Davie and Meg Pokrass; her nephew, Miles Bond; her ex-husband, Peter Gelblum; and her cousins Marcy, Mike, and Mark Reuben.

Allen’s loved ones remember her as someone who adored her family, mystery books, Bob Dylan, mac and cheese, and bacon cheeseburgers with no lettuce or tomatoes.

Actress Sian Barbara Allen was #BornOnThisDay, July 12, 1946. Known for her TV films, Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973) & the feature films: You’ll Like My Mother (1972) & Billy Two Hats (1974) + numerous TV roles during the #1970s. Wishing her the BEST #birthday 78 years YOUNG #BOTD pic.twitter.com/syH9Rw4alc

— Dr. Buzz aka Buzz Von Ornsteiner PhD (@DrBuzz_Forensic) July 12, 2024

Looking Back At Sian’s Extraordinary Career And Filmography

In the wake of Sian Barbara Allen’s death, let’s pause to remember who she was in life.

Allen studied at the famous Pasadena Playhouse before landing her first role in an episode of the TV series O’Hara, U.S. Treasury. More roles soon followed, as Allen appeared in projects such as Alias Smith and Jones, Gunsmoke, and You’ll Like My Mother.

Allen earned a Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year – Actress for her role in You’ll Like My Mother.

Then, in 1973, Allen appeared in The Waltons as Jenny Pendleton, a character who served as an early love interest for John-Boy Walton. Allen previously starred alongside Richard Thomas (who played John-Boy) in You’ll Like My Mother.

Allen played Jenny in two episodes of The Waltons, “The Love Story” and “The Thanksgiving Story.”

Sian Barbara Allen, Former Actress and Star of ‘The Waltons,’ Dies at 78 https://t.co/ig80oCRyQb

— People (@people) April 1, 2025

Beyond The Waltons, Allen went on to star in projects such as Scream, Pretty Peggy, Marcus Welby, M.D., Ironside, and Smash-Up on Interstate 5.

The actress’ last onscreen role was in a 1990 episode of  L.A. Law. She played Diane Campbell in the episode titled “Whatever Happened to Hannah?”

Allen stepped away from acting in 1990. Her obituary details how she “maintained an intense focus on politics” after leaving the entertainment world behind. She also wrote lots of poetry in her free time and left behind “boxes of writing” for her family to enjoy in the years to come.

Allen spent her final years in North Carolina “surrounded by all of her favorite things, new friends, and more time with [her daughter] Emily than she’d had in 35 years.”

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of Allen’s loved ones during this difficult time…