Fay Wray

06/07/2004 – Fay Wray – Broadway: The Golden Age – Loews E Walk Theater – Photo Credit: Janet Mayer / Photorazzi

Birth Name: Vina Fay Wray

Date of Birth: September 15, 1907

Place of Birth: Cardston, Alberta, Canada

Date of Death: August 8, 2004

Place of Death: New York City, New York, U.S.

Ethnicity: English, small amount of Irish

Fay Wray was an American actress. She starred as Ann Darrow in King Kong (1933).

Fay was the daughter of Elvina Marguerite (Jones) and Joseph Heber Wray. Her father was born in Hull, Yorkshire, England. Her mother was from Salt Lake City, Utah. Fay was raised in Utah, including in Salt Lake City and Lark.

She officially became a U.S. citizen in 1933. She was married to screenwriter and playwright Robert Riskin, until his death, and to neurosurgeon Sanford Rothenberg, until her death. She had a daughter with her former husband, novelist, screenwriter, and film director John Monk Saunders; and two children, including author and psychologist Victoria Riskin, and Robert Riskin, Jr., who co-owns McCabe’s Guitar Shop, with Robert.

Fay’s paternal grandfather was Joseph Wray (the son of William Wray and Mary Atkinson). Joseph was born in Woodmansey, Yorkshire, England.

Fay’s paternal grandmother was Juliana Goulding (the daughter of William Goulding and Ann Bonner). Juliana was born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England.

Fay’s maternal grandfather was Daniel Webster Jones (the son of Wiley Jones and Margaret Scott Cloyd). Daniel was born in Missouri, and was an LDS (Mormon) pioneer. Wiley was the son of Aquila Jones and Lettie Hooper. Margaret was the daughter of David Cloyd and Sarah Marshall.

Fay’s maternal grandmother was Harriet Emily Colton (the daughter of Philander Colton and Polly Matilda Merrill). Harriet was born in Michigan. Philander was the son of Charles Gilbert Colton and Polly Mary Jones. Fay’s great-grandmother Polly was the daughter of Samuel Merrill and Phoebe Odell.

Sources: Genealogies of Fay Wray – http://www.wargs.com
https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Fay Wray (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.americanancestors.org