Lois Hamilton

Lois Hamilton
Born	Lois Irene Yanessa (1943-10-14)October 14, 1943 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	December 23, 1999(1999-12-23) (aged 56) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Other names	Lois Areno Lois Irene Aurino Lois Aurino
Alma mater	Temple University University of Florence
Occupations	Model author actress artist aviator
Known for	The Cannonball Run Summer Rental Stripes

Lois Hamilton (October 14, 1943 – December 23, 1999) was an American model, author,

Lois Hamilton was born Lois Irene Yanessa on October 14, 1943, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Francis Yanessa and Helen.^[3][4] She studied at Temple University in her native Philadelphia before attending the University of Florence in Florence, Italy, where she received degrees in psychology and fine arts.

Her looks brought her an opportunity with the

Hamilton moved to Hollywood, where she made a successful transition from model to actress. Within a year, she landed more TV stints than any other actress at her agency. She worked with such notables as Ivan Reitman, Neil Simon, Sydney Pollack, Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds, John Candy, Roger Moore, Bill Murray, Jane Fonda, Dean Martin, Carl Reiner, David Carradine and Sammy Davis Jr.. Under the name Lois Hamilton or Lois Areno, she appeared in films such as Stripes, The Cannonball Run and Honky Tonk Freeway and on television shows like Card Sharks, The Dukes of Hazzard and Three's Company.

When she was not involved in a feature film or television project, Hamilton took to the skies, where she was a licensed private pilot. She logged over 600 hours in the air and was an aerobatic pilot, flying her 1936 German biplane. Hamilton was also an accomplished sculptor, painter and writer. She exhibited her bronze sculptures and oil paintings in many one-woman shows in Los Angeles.

Hamilton fled the country for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, rather than face prison time for a driving under the influence with an accident.^[5] On December 23, 1999, Hamilton locked herself in her hotel room at the Sheraton Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, where she consumed a fatal overdose of sleeping pills.^[6] She was 56 years old. She was interred in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood, California.