Dodie Levy-Fraser is the first wife of Michael Landon, the late renowned American actor and filmmaker. She was born on March 16, 1933, but died in 1994, at the age of 61, due to natural causes.
Dodie Levy-Fraser did not spend her days in idleness as she tried her hands at different careers within the entertainment sector, including acting, movie directing, production, and script writing. Irrespective of Dodie’s endeavors, her fame was basically tied to her marriage to Michael Landon, as she gained recognition after her marriage to him. She was married to the actor for six years and shares two sons with him.
Summary of Dodie Levy-Fraser’s Biography
- Full name: Dorothy Levy-Fraser
- Nickname: Dodie
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: March 16, 1933
- Date of death: July 5, 1995
- Dodie Levy-Fraser’s Age at Death: 61 years old
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Pisces
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Dodie Levy-Fraser’s Widowed Husband: Dr. Peter Lake
- Dodie Levy-Fraser’s Ex-Husband: Michael Landon (died in 1991)
- Dodie Levy-Fraser’s Children: Mark Landon and Josh Fraser
- Dodie Levy-Fraser’s Parents: Nissim Levy (father), Victoria ‘Dora’ Samuel Levy (mother)
- Siblings: Solomon Isaac Levy (Solly), and Mary Levy Rugraffe.
- Profession: Actress, Movie director, producer, and author
When was Dodie Levy-Fraser Born?
Dodie Levy-Fraser was born on March 16, 1933, in New York City, United States. She is an American citizen born under the Pisces birth sign and is of Caucasian ethnicity. The actor’s ex-wife was born to Victoria Dora Samarel Levy and Nissim Levy, whose occupation is not known. She isn’t the only child in her family, as she had two older siblings whom she grew up with under the care of their parents, who raised them in a firm Christian faith.
She did not mention what her siblings, Solomon Isaac Levy (Solly) and Mary Levy Rugraffe, did for a living or where they are. All that is known about her siblings is that her older sister, Mary Levy Rugraffe died in 1989. Though the exact place where she spent her childhood is not known, she grew up in the United States.
As much as she gained a good level of fame, there are no details about Dodie’s educational background. Based on this, the names of the schools that she attended for elementary and high school are not known, but she studied in the United States. There are also no records of the university that she attended, but it is believed that she was very educated, following her dispositions.
Dodie Levy-Fraser Was Michael Landon’s Wife For Six Years
Dodie Levy-Fraser got married to Michael Landon in 1956 at the age of 23 in a simple wedding ceremony. It is not clear where they met or how their romance shot off, but they dated for a while before getting married on March 11, 1956. Meanwhile, there might also be chances of the late couple meeting on set, as is common among Hollywood couples. They were married for only six years and welcomed two children before their marriage hit the rock.
However, trouble came knocking in paradise when Michael Landon started dating another woman, Marjorie Lynn Noe. This further marked the first divorce step for the couple, as they filed for divorce in March 1962, citing irreconcilable differences. Their divorce was finalized on December 1, 1962, with the estranged couple moving on with their lives.
While their marriage was Michael Landon’s first marriage, it was Dodie Levy-Fraser’s second marriage. Michael Landon moved on after their divorce and got married to Marjorie Lynn Noe, with whom he had an affair in 1963. Their marriage lasted 19 years before it came to an end after they welcomed four children together.
After his second marriage crashed, the filmmaker moved on and got married to Cyndy Landon in 1983 and lived with her till his death on July 1, 1991, at 54 in Malibu, California, due to pancreatic cancer. He was further buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.
On the other hand, Dodie Levy-Fraser’s first marriage was kept under wraps as nothing was known about her first husband. All that is known is that her first marriage came to an end after the death of her ex-husband. After her marriage with Michael Landon ended, she moved on and got married to Dr. Peter Lake in a private wedding ceremony in 1971.
Dodie became intentional with her last union and took it completely out of the public’s prying eyes. Not many details are known about her marriage to Dr. Peter, but it lasted until 1994 when she closed her eyes to death.
Meet The Children Dodie Levy-Fraser Had With Michael Landon
Dodie Levy-Fraser’s marriage to Michael produced two children. She welcomed her first child, Mark Landon, from her previous marriage. Upon her marriage with Michael Landon, he was adopted by the filmmaker who raised him and made him develop a passion for filmmaking. He made his acting debut in the movie Us and also appeared in a few onscreen projects like Goodbye America and Double Edge.
Meanwhile, Mark Landon was born in 1948 and lived for 61 years before his death on May 11, 2009. He was reportedly found dead in his apartment, while the cause of his death is not known. Mark was also buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California, the same place as his father, Michael Landon.
Dodie Levy-Fraser’s second son, Josh Fraser, was adopted by the couple as an infant. Josh was born on February 11, 1960, and is 64 years old as of 20 24. Meanwhile, other details of his education and occupation have remained vague.
Is Michael Landon’s Ex-wife Still Alive?
No! The actress, producer, and mother of two died on July 5, 1994. Her death was reported as a natural death, as she had been in good health at the time of her death. Dodie Levy-Fraser died three years after Michael London died. Initially, rumors of her death made their way in 1991, as it was claimed that she was the one dead instead of the filmmaker, Michael.
The rumor was so strong that she had to clear the air and report that she was hale and hearty. However, she followed in 1994, when she gave up the ghost in Palm Springs, Riverside County, California. She was further laid to rest at Home of Peace Memorial Park, in the Cemetery in East Los Angeles.
What was Michael Landon’s Ex-wife’s Occupation?
Dodie Levy-Fraser was a producer and director, and on days when she was not on set, she wrote scripts and short stories. She did not merely live her life as an actor’s wife; she was also an actress. It seems that Dodie and Landon had a passion for the same career, even though Dodie did not succeed like her ex-husband.
Her acting career was reportedly a childhood dream, as she was said to have started acting in primary school. After leaving primary school, she went into the acting field properly and was able to secure a few roles as an actress. At some point, Dodie also worked as a legal secretary.
