Frances Bay

Frances Evelyn Bay (née Goffman; January 23, 1919 – September 15, 2011) was a Canadian American character actress. She did not enter the acting industry of television and film until 1978 while in her late 50s, ultimately appearing in numerous roles. She also worked in radio and theater, winning the Drama-Logue and Gemini awards.

Personal life

Bay was born Frances Evelyn Goffman in Mannville, Alberta, to Ukrainian Jewish immigrant parents, Ann (née Averbach) and Max Goffman, and was raised in Dauphin, Manitoba. Her younger brother was the noted sociologist Erving Goffman. Before World War II she acted professionally in Winnipeg and spent the war hosting the Canadian Broadcasting Company's radio show, Everybody's Program, aimed at service members overseas.

She married Charles Irwin Bay (born December 15, 1918 – died June 18, 2002) in 1946, and moved to Cape Town, South Africa, living in the Constantia and Camps Bay areas. She studied with Uta Hagen at this time. Charles and Frances Bay had one son, Josh (Eli Joshua; March 14, 1947 – June 6, 1970), who died at the age of 23. By 1949, the couple had moved to the United States and taken out U.S. citizenship.