On March 6, actress Jennifer Runyon passed away at the age of 65 following a battle with cancer. The news of her death was shared by her friend, Bewitched star Erin Murphy.
“So sad to share that my friend Jennifer Runyon Corman has passed away after a brief battle with cancer,” she wrote on social media. “Some people you just know you’ll be friends with before you even meet. She was a special lady. I’ll miss you Jenn. My thoughts are with your family and beautiful children.”
Her brother David paid tribute to her on Facebook as well with a post that read: “My beautiful sister Jennifer has joined the angels in Heaven. Always dedicated to her convictions, Jenn was a wonderful mother and talented actress who especially loved the beauty in nature. Her soft voice and sweet smile will remain with me forever.”
Jennifer, best remembered for supporting turns in ’80s films like Up the Creek and Ghostbusters, plus her leading role in the 1984 sitcom Charles in Charge and for a year on the soap opera Another World, devoted much of her later years to living out of the spotlight and with her family, including her husband Todd Corman and their two kids.
Here’s all you need to know about the late actress’ family ties…
Jennifer was born on April 1, 1960 in Chicago, Illinois to father Jim Runyon and mother Jane Roberts. While not much is known about Jane’s life now, she also found success as an actress like her daughter, appearing in ’80s TV movies like With Intent to Kill (1984) and Miss All-American Beauty (1982) and the show Search for Tomorrow.
Her father Jim Runyon was best known as a radio announcer and DJ throughout the 1950s and ’60s, a job that required him to move his family around the country several times. His most prominent move came in 1965 when he joined WCFL in Chicago.
In 1966, he began serving as the narrator for the popular Chickenman radio series on the station, a role that put him in front and center of the booming radio landscape. In fact, a majority of the female characters on Chickenman were played by none other than his wife Jane.
In March of 1973, Jim had to resign from his radio job (at the time at WWWE in Cleveland) due to health concerns. A month later, Jim tragically passed away at the age of 42 following a battle with leukemia. He was survived by Jane, Jennifer and his two sons from previous marriages, David and Scott.
In March of 1991, Jennifer tied the knot with Todd Corman, a collegiate basketball coach. Todd remains out of the spotlight, but has coached extensively for Oregon State University, Loyola Marymount University and Albertson College.
However, Todd has Hollywood in his blood, too. During his off-season, he has worked extensively as an assistant director and editor, most notably for shows like Mulaney, Whitney, Awkward, 10 Things I Hate About You, Beverly Hills, 90210, and even movies like Beethoven and Swamp Thing.
Todd comes from a prominent filmmaking lineage as well. His father Gene Corman was a film producer and agent, while his uncle Roger Corman is a Hollywood great in the world of independent filmmaking. His best known credits include The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) and The Intruder (1962), and he also served as a mentor and collaborator for the likes of Ingmar Bergman, Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese and James Cameron.
In 1993, Jennifer and Todd welcomed their son Wyatt (now 32), and their daughter Bayley (now 30) was born in 1995. Wyatt lives his life out of the spotlight, with his only known public credit being a production role in 2012’s Piranhaconda.
Bayley is an actress like her mom, first appearing on screen in 2010 in an episode of the show Zeke and Luther. She has since then made appearances in shows like Running Point, The Young and the Restless, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Bel-Air, and 9-1-1.
Bayley paid tribute to her late mom on Instagram with a photo collection, captioned: “All of the best parts of me came from you. I would give anything for one more day together,” adding then in the comments: “The kindest most compassionate person I’ve ever known. My best friend. I wasn’t ready for this.”