Beloved actress Jennifer Grey is mourning the death of her mother, Jo Wilder, who passed away just one week after being diagnosed with lung cancer.
The former “Dancing With the Stars” champ opened up about the loss in a moving tribute to her 94-year-old mother.
Grey’s Tragic Loss
The “Dirty Dancing” actress described her late mother as “gorgeous and talented” in a moving tribute following her death.
“My mother, Jo Wilder, passed away on July 4th at 94 — by her own choosing, on her own terms, exactly as she lived,” Grey wrote alongside a series of photos from her childhood. “A week earlier, she learned she had lung cancer. True to who she was, she chose grace over fear, understanding that leaving this world with dignity is an honor, not a tragedy.”
Grey’s word hint at the fact that Wilder decided not to fight the cancer, though it’s unclear exactly what caused her death.
“She was gorgeous and talented — a promising young actress on the New York stage in her youth. She used to say she never fully answered that calling; she became a mother instead. If she’d chosen ambition over my brother and me, we never would have had the mother we had. Her passion found other outlets: she was a lifelong activist, fiercely attuned to right and wrong. And for years, many people discovered her extraordinary eye through Wilder Place, her store on Melrose,” the mourning daughter continued. “She was brave and deep. I love you, Mom. Thank you for showing me how to do it all, even this, with grace.”
Love and Support
The comments section of Grey’s announcement was flooded with heartfelt words from friends who had the honor of meeting her late mother.
“A beautiful tribute. I love you so much. Your mom was the best,” “Back to the Future” star Lea Thompson wrote.
“What a moving tribute. I am thinking of you and the radiant Jo Wilder today. I feel so blessed to have had your beautiful mother in my life,” Tracy Pollan, wife of Michael J. Fox and longtime friend, commented. “I will cherish my memories of her warmth, love, and guidance. So heartbroken she is gone, but grateful she left us with the dignity she lived with. I love you both.”
Maggie Wheeler, who played Janice in “Friends,” wrote, “I have been thinking of you so much. I am lucky to have known your beautiful mother through the years of our friendship. She was fierce and kind and curious.. and .. she was deeply blessed with a daughter who showed her the most unwavering love unwavering support.”
Still other stars like Josh Gad, Constance Zimmer, Debra Messing, Holly Robinson Peete, Clark Gregg, and Katie Couric sent their love.
In addition to being a mother to Grey and her brother, James Katz, Wilder worked in television in the 1950 and 1960s. She is perhaps best known for her roles in shows like “How to Marry a Millionaire” and “The Defenders.”
She also appeared in stage productions as a singing actress and starred in a long run as Polly in “Threepenny Opera.”
