From this television exposure, she became very popular with her image on lunch boxes, in coloring books, and her television doll "Mrs. Beasley," was successfully sold by Mattel Toys. Mary Anissa Jones her middle name meaning "Little Friend" in Arabic entered the world on March 11, 1958, in Lafayette, Indiana. Many a time, it was unbeknownst to the public that the person was struggling, although sometimes they have alluded to it in the past (i.e. Officer Graf arrived at 12:37 p.m., I have been told he has posted in this forum under the name of Old Marine or something close to that and is a member of the other forum. She doesnt know, she said seriously, if she wants to stay in show business and confident that she hopes to retire when Im 14, which prompted a man in the crowd to say, Over her mothers dead body., Geoffrey emphasizes that the kids were doing the same work as adults with the same responsibilities. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? It embodies the trials of child actors, the devastation of typecasting, and the pitfalls of having, and then losing, stardom. Geoffrey Mark, who worked on documentaries, said, "She received a little less than $200,000, which she blew almost immediately. There he met Anissas mother, Mary Paula Jones (maiden name Tweel), who was a zoology student at the time. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean. You know, there was a whole episode of Hollywood Palace [in 1967] built around Anissa and Jimmy Durante. All rights reserved. Try our quiz and enter to win $500!Click below to check the trivia questionRemember Anissa Jones? [5], Jones was given a small, private service. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. Anissa was very fond of Paul and her love and kindness would often show while on the set. It blew my mind because I thought she was too smart to destroy herself with drugs. They said that Dr. Moshos illegally prescribed the drug Seconal to Jones, which contributed to her death. And anyone who knows anything about drugs, would have been watching her behavior and would have known. Tragically, Anissa Jones wasnt the only Family Affair cast member to suffer an untimely death. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Her parents divorce had led to a bitter custody battle, which resulted in her father winning custody of Jones and her brother. Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/factsverse?sub_confirmation=1 Or, watch more videos here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkXAntdjbcSKgHx6EQVOwNKVz1cR2hKVwHollywood has a terrible track record of totally destroying the lives of child stars. She died in Detroit Michigan of natural cause on January 14, 2012. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Her first exposure to acting was in a breakfast cereal commercial when she was only six years old. Life is hard. Sometimes we just pick the flowers and then sell them, but were always careful not to sell the flowers to the lady we pick them from., Her brightness was also on display in a piece that ran in the Star-Gazette of Elmira, New York, as the reporter noticed her mouthing dialogue being spoken by both Johnnie and Brian. She experienced success faster than she had anticipated but after Family Affair wrapped up in 1971, she found herself typecast and unable to find decent work.Her frustration quickly turned to desperation as she got involved in crime and drug abuse. Anissa Jones was just eighteen years old. A system error has occurred. She felt her role as Buffy became stagnant, as producers insisted on her continuing to play with Mrs. Beasley even though she got older. Try again later. But that didnt really happen. If you are the site owner (or you manage this site), please whitelist your IP or if you think this block is an error please open a support ticket and make sure to include the block details (displayed in the box below), so we can assist you in troubleshooting the issue. One role she auditioned for was Linda Blairs in 1973s The Exorcist, but director William Friedkin believed that the audience wouldnt see character Regan MacNeil possessed, but rather Buffy. Robin Williams, just to name an example). Anissa was in trouble: petty shoplifting, taking jobs and then quitting them, bad sleeping patterns, bad eating patterns, incredible mood swings., He continues, When she turned 18 in March of 76, she received the forced savings from her salary onFamily Affairand then another amount of money that had been held for her in trust. She was a darling little girl and a lovely teenager, and I dont think she would have taken her own life, Garver said. I forget to feed him. Uh okaaaay. [2], At the time of her birth, Jones' father, John Paul Jones, was an engineering graduate and faculty board member at Purdue University, where her mother, Mary Paula Jones (ne Tweel), was a zoology student. Her parents were divorced prior to the start of her acting career in 1965. On March 11, Anissa Jones would have celebrated her 61st birthday, that fact led to a trip down memory lane and to "Family Affair" where it all began. Read more on Wikipedia. And her mother, at the suggestion of a neighbor, started bringing Jones to TV commercial auditions. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. On March 11, Anissa Jones would have celebrated her 61st birthday, that fact led to a trip down memory lane and to Family Affair where it all began. There is a problem with your email/password. You can always change this later in your Account settings. The coroner would later report that she had cocaine, PCP, Quaalude and Seconal in her system. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. We are sad to announce that on July 31, 2020 we had to say goodbye to Anissa Jones (Boston, Massachusetts). During filming, she attended school on the studio lot alongside many other child actors. She relocated back to Dallas in 2004, working in Healthcare . A neighbor who had a child making TV commercials suggested that Mrs. Jones get Anissa started in the same field. They difibed her once and put on the electrodes but it was clearly useless, and Tri City Dr. Mitchell (jr.) gave the order to cease. Some four commercials later, Anissa was seen and signed by a producer of Family Affair for the part of Buffy., Geoffrey Mark, a creative guiding force behind a number of Inside Televisions Greatest and Behind the Fame documentaries, notes that by its very nature, the shooting schedule of Family Affair was a boon financially, but a recipe for disaster for the children. Anissa Jones charmed audiences as Buffy during the shows five seasons. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org. Year should not be greater than current year. We first encountered Buffy three years ago in San Antonio, where the clothes bearing that name first came to the attention of the fashion press. Allen Koven took her keys and left at 9:30 a.m. Carla Machado testified that she found her dead after showering just before 11:30, however no phone call was placed to the paramedics until 12:29 p.m. (Hence Candy McGirrs recollection of the ensuing panic, phone calls, and call to her parents to come pick her up. Find the obituary of Kenneth Jones (1955 - 2019) from Springville, UT. So it was very hard work for Johnnie and Anissa. COPYRIGHT 2020 By TheLifeandTimesofHollywood.com, Stories From The Life and Times of Hollywood. Disillusioned, Jones also turned down a role on her former co-star Brian Keiths new show, The Brian Keith Show, as well as a chance to audition for the role of Iris Easy Steensma in Taxi Driver (1976). She and Buffy were the same wonderful person.. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. Garver remembered that Joness mother expressed concern about her daughter at Joness 18th birthday party. View all categories; You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Her body would be taken to McCormick Funeral Home in Inglewood and then to the Pacific Crest crematory in Redondo Beach for cremation. Ending her promising acting career, her cause of death was listed as an accidental drug overdose. About six days later, her doctor, Don Carlos Moshos, was charged with manslaughter for illegally prescribing Seconal to her. A deadly combo of cocaine, PCP, Quaaludes and barbiturates killed her at the heartbreakingly young age of 18. She is best remembered for her role of "Buffy" on the television series "Family Affair." A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. Mary Anissa Jones / nis / [a] (March 11, 1958 - August 28, 1976) was an American child actress known for her role as Buffy Davis on the CBS sitcom Family Affair, which ran from 1966 to 1971. To Fox News, Garver added that she believed that Jones had died of an overdose, not a suicide. Family Affairwould go on for five seasons and 138 total episodes. Family Affairstar Anissa Jones was one of the many who lost her life after several years of stardom, beginning when she was just four years old. There was just so much pressure. There was an error deleting this problem. I want to see God, she told me, because everyone always talks about him, but no one has seen what he looks like. She wasn't being very social. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Jones also worked on other projects and had guest appearances on talk shows, and everyone adored the beautiful and talented little girl. On January 14, 2012, their mother, Mary Paula Tweel, died in . From Jackie Coogan (The Addams Familys Uncle Fester), who was ripped off to the point of destitution by his mother, to the systematic abuse Dennis the Menace star Jay North took from his guardians, an aunt and uncle; the young cast of Diffrent Strokes and Anissa, there are so many instances. The juveniles claimed they did not know she was dead until sometime between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. She is always ready to say, Please call me Anissa when people refer to her as Buffy, her name on the show. Jones career was cut short as she started to take drugs. Due to logistical concerns, Anissas younger brother, Paul almost always accompanied her to the studio. If you wanted to end a conversation or prevent one from starting at all, all you had to do was call her Buffy or bring up the show. [8] According to a Torrance Police Department report, Moshos was writing over 100 prescriptions per day. Anissa's father, John Paul Jones, died on March 7, 1974, at age 44. It was Anissa Joness last, as well as the moment when she inherited the money shed earned from Family Affair. Thats a lot of pressure to put on someone less than 10 years old, less so where one has a good family life where one has parents really working on behalf of the children to make sure their lives are as normal as possible. She died from combined drug intoxication when she was 18. However, she had a difficult time living on the straight and narrow, and she went back to shoplifting and using drugs. Anissas life sadly came to an end on August 28, 1976, at age 18. Said Anissa, Oh, I always know everybodys lines even my own, except when I miss them. While awaiting trial, he died, resulting in the case being closed. Buffy and her doll became household names, and their faces were on merchandise everywhere. She felt that she was typecast as the adorable little girl when she played Buffy, which resulted in her not being chosen for other roles, such as the one in "The Exorcist." Points out Geoffrey, Her life kind of spiraled out of control. Mary Anissa Jones /nis/[a] (March 11, 1958 August 28, 1976) was an American child actress known for her role as Buffy Davis on the CBS sitcom Family Affair, which ran from 1966 to 1971. Note that Koven testified he went to breakfast twice once at 9:30 and again at 11:00, unusual for someone who had mainlined cocaine in the early hours of the morning. Anissa Jones was just eighteen years old. She bonded with local teenage friends and started to have the freedom that had been denied her the five years she was on the TV show.. Jones, Anissa: (March 11, 1958 - August 28, 1976) Anissa Jones starred as Buffy in the 1960 -1970's CBS sitcom Family Affair. Her life came to a tragic end at the age of 18 when she died of a drug overdose at a friends house in 1976. [1] Early life [ edit] This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. Add to your scrapbook. Her mother, Mary Paula Jones, studied zoology, while her father was an engineer. Funeral homes; Help and advice. That birthday was a significant one. So Anissa is a tremendously unfortunate casserole of all these different ingredients that were baked until it bubbled over. It looks like she was asleep although the arm may have been an attempt to reach out as much as a normal sleeping position. Wayne Staz, the reporter who initiated the visit, alleged that prescriptions could be obtained with $5.00 and "simply showing identification".[9]. It was drugs she was known to use, but on that night it would be her last. She and some other kids stayed in a bedroom taking angel dust and coke. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Sebastian Cabot died of a stroke in 1977, and Brian Keith died by suicide in 1997. In her early teen years, as reported by Outsider, she started shoplifting and often skipped school. On August 28th, 1976, while attending a party at her friend Helens house, at 2312 Littler Lane in Oceanside, Anissa would take one of her healthy doses of barbiturates, phencyclidine, cocaine and methaquaalone (what a party girl). 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