Gloria Carlin obit

RIP Gloria Carlin

 She was not on the list.

Gloria Carlin Chetwynd passed away August 5, 2026, peacefully at her home in Sherman Oaks, California, with her family around her. A successful actress, loving wife and mother, doting grandmother and a devoted friend to so many, she prioritized joy in both her life and the lives of the people around her. Simply put, she lived a complete life.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Gloria found a passion for acting at a young age. She was a star pupil at Montreal's Children's Theatre, Mountain Playhouse and Centaur Theatre. She also served as a teacher for so many aspiring students. After graduating high school, she considered attending university in the United States but stayed in Canada to assist her family. As a result, she attended Sir George Williams University - a decision which turned out to be deeply life-changing.

The reason: She met her future husband, Lionel, at Sir George, commenting that he looked like Paul Newman after they first met. It was an instant connection sealed when Lionel came over to Gloria's family home and took apart and then fixed a beloved music box.

Still, Gloria was driven and, when famed drama coach Peggy Feury asked her to come to New York City to study acting at the Actor's Studio and dance with Martha Graham, she was compelled to embrace the adventure. While she found studying dance challenging at times, her acting turned heads. So much so that she was offered a contract by Warner Bros. The opportunity to move to Los Angeles and elevate her acting career at a young age was a big one, but after an all-night conversation with Lionel, they agreed to "do it together," and Gloria moved back to Montreal.

That choice also proved to be a good one. Gloria and Lionel wed in 1963 and she continued to perform, appearing in plays and hosting a children's television show on the CBC. She also worked at one of Montreal's pinnacle events, Expo 67. Following that, Lionel and Gloria moved to London, where Gloria featured in the West End Production of "Maybe That's Your Problem." During their time in London, Gloria and Lionel had two sons - Michael in 1968 and Joshua in 1971.

The family would move to Connecticut and then to New York City before settling in Los Angeles in 1976. Throughout, her acting career blossomed. She appeared in 15 movies, including starring or major roles in such films as "Two Solitudes", "Goldenrod", "Hanoi Hilton" and "Varian's War". She also played a recurring role in General Hospital as Charity Gatlin. The character was so beloved that years after she had left the show an additional plotline was created about her character's children. Other television guest performances included turns on "The Facts of Life", "Knots Landing" and "Cagney and Lacey".

Along with being a remarkable actress, she was an award-worthy grandmother to her four grandchildren, Miller, Joseph, Mira and Becca. From the birth of her first grandchild, she took to that role as passionately as any she performed on the stage or screen. She never missed birthdays and always relished time with each of them.

However, it's important to note that her enthusiasm for people did not stop with her family. She was a light for anyone who had the privilege to know her. She was always willing to listen and provide sage advice. Those in her orbit knew, unreservedly, that Gloria, an unabashed optimist, was always in their corner.

She is survived by her husband (Lionel), her two sons (Michael and Joshua), her two daughters-in-law (Tracy and Jennifer), her four grandchildren (Miller, Joseph, Mira and Becca), her brother (Harvey) and sister-in-law (Suzee), five nieces and nephews (Cindy, Lisa, Clifford, Gabriel and Jeremy).

Her funeral will take place at Mount Sinai Memorial Park on Monday, August 10 at 2:30 p.m. It is located at 6150 Mount Sinai Drive, Simi Valley, California 93063. For those who cannot attend, a livestream will be available at: https://mount-sinai-memorial-parks-and-mortuaries.livecontrol.tv/06aace8d

 

CARLIN, Gloria

 

Born: 2/20/1942, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

 

Died: 8/5/2026, Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.A.

 

Actress

William Hurt and Julia Ormond in Varian's War: The Forgotten Hero (2001)

Varian's War: The Forgotten Hero

6.3

TV Movie

Bella Chagall

2001

 

F. Murray Abraham, Bruce Davison, Gregory Hines, and Judd Hirsch in Color of Justice (1997)

Color of Justice

6.0

TV Movie

Jill

1997

 

Innocent Victims (1996)

Innocent Victims

6.8

TV Movie

Jenny

1996

 

Jason Behr, Peter Billingsley, Jeremiah Birkett, Phyllis Katz, Heather Elizabeth Parkhurst, Nick Toth, and Kristoffer Ryan Winters in Sherman Oaks (1995)

Sherman Oaks

7.6

TV Series

Tasha Wright

1995

1 episode

 

Paul Mercurio in Joseph (1995)

Joseph

7.6

TV Mini Series

Bilah

1995

2 episodes

 

Falling from the Sky: Flight 174 (1995)

Falling from the Sky: Flight 174

6.0

TV Movie

Meg

1995

 

CBS Schoolbreak Special (1984)

CBS Schoolbreak Special

6.9

TV Series

Lorraine HavelikFrances Taylor

1989–1993

2 episodes

 

So Proudly We Hail (1990)

So Proudly We Hail

5.6

TV Movie

Angie

1990

 

William Devane, Nicollette Sheridan, Kevin Dobson, Donna Mills, Joan Van Ark, Michele Lee, and Ted Shackelford in Knots Landing (1979)

Knots Landing

7.0

TV Series

Iris Kornberg

1989

2 episodes

 

Freddy's Nightmares (1988)

Freddy's Nightmares

6.2

TV Series

Mrs. Peterson

1989

1 episode

 

To Heal a Nation (1988)

To Heal a Nation

7.5

TV Movie

Monica

1988

 

Randy Quaid and Lindsay Wagner in Evil in Clear River (1988)

Evil in Clear River

6.3

TV Movie

Millie Wilhelm

1988

 

The Hanoi Hilton (1987)

The Hanoi Hilton

6.1

Paula

1987

 

Finola Hughes, Maurice Benard, Steve Burton, Genie Francis, Laura Wright, Donnell Turner, Tanisha Harper, Josh Kelly, Eden McCoy, Josh Swickard, and Tabyana Ali in General Hospital (1963)

General Hospital

6.7

TV Series

Charity Gatlin

1986

2 episodes

 

Murder in Space (1985)

Murder in Space

4.6

TV Movie

Dinah Greenberg

1985

 

Bridge to Terabithia (1985)

Bridge to Terabithia

5.9

TV Movie

Mrs. Aarons

1985

 

Elliott Gould, Mary McDonnell, Corinne Bohrer, Conchata Ferrell, Shuko Akune, Lynne Moody, and Bruce A. Young in E/R (1984)

E/R

7.2

TV Series

Rita

1985

1 episode

 

Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story (1984)

Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story

6.7

TV Movie

1984

 

Cagney & Lacey (1981)

Cagney & Lacey

6.9

TV Series

Det. Fickett

1984

1 episode

 

Marie-France Pisier and Wayne Rogers in The Hot Touch (1981)

The Hot Touch

4.9

Kelly

1981

 

Two Solitudes (1978)

Two Solitudes

6.1

Kathleen Tallard

1978

 

Goldenrod (1976)

Goldenrod

7.0

Shirley Ashbee Gifford

1976

 

Shoot (1976)

Shoot

5.7

Ellen (as Gloria Carlin Chetwynd)

1976

 

Additional Crew

Bridge to Terabithia (1985)

Bridge to Terabithia

5.9

TV Movie

dialogue coach

1985

 

Aunt Mary (1979)

Aunt Mary

7.3

TV Movie

creative assistant: Peter Werner

1979

 

Self

The Alan Hamel Show (1976)

The Alan Hamel Show

6.5

TV Series

Self

1977

1 episode