Who is James Arness’s Widow Janet Surtees?

Janet Surtees is famously known as the widow of actor James Arness. James is well known for his role as Marshal Matt Dillon which he played for 20 years in the series Gunsmoke on CBS. He was also a radio announcer in Minnesota, a career he began back in 1945.

Janet Surtees Age

Janet’s age is currently unknown. She has never shared information about her age, birthday, or the year she was born. This section will be updated soon.

Janet Surtees Height

Surtees stands at an average height and weight. She has however not shared the exact figures of her weight, height, and body measurements.

Janet Surtees Parents

Surtees was born in the United States. Information regarding her childhood, parents, siblings, and family is currently not available. This section is under review and will be updated soon.

Janet Surtees Husband

Janet was married to James Arness from 1978 until his death on June 3, 2011. They met while Janet was working at a clothing store. James was previously married to Virginia Chapman from 1948 until their divorce in 1960. He then dated Thordis Brandt for six years before breaking up and married Janet in 1978.

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Janet Surtees Children

Surtees and her late husband did not have any children together. James had two children with his first wife called Rolf (born February 18th, 1952), and Jenny Lee Arness (born May 23, 1950). She died in May 1950 after committing suicide by overdose.

James also adopted her first wife’s son Craig who died on December 14th, 2004. Janet had one son from her previous marriage.

Craig Arness was a photographer for National Geographic and also founded the stock photography agency Westlight. Rolf was a world Surfing Champion in 1970.

James Arness Gunsmoke

James Arness is known for his famous role as Marshal Matt Dillon in the Gunsmoke series. After playing the role for over 20 years, he earned three Emmy nominations and other numerous awards.

The show was canceled in 1975 making it the longest-running series ever produced. After the success of the show, he starred in “Gunsmoke IV: The Long Ride” in 1992.

Janet Surtees’s Husband Death

Surtees’s husband died on June 3, 2011, at the age of 88 in his Brentwood home in Los Angeles. Before his death, he wrote a letter to his fans and asked his wife to post it on his website after his death. Part of the letter read;

“I wanted to take this time to thank all of you for the many years of being a fan of Gunsmoke, The Thing, How the West Was Won, and all the other fun projects I was lucky enough to have been allowed to be a part of. I had the privilege of working with so many great actors over the years. Thank you again for all the many letters, cards, emails, and gifts we received from you over the years. You are and always have been truly appreciated”

“I decided to write a letter to you for Janet to post on our website in the event I was no longer here. I had a wonderful life and was blessed with so many loving people and great friends. The best part of my life was my family, especially my wife Janet. Many of you met her at Dodge City so you understand what a special person she is.”

Janet Surtees’s Net Worth

Surtees has an estimated net worth of $400 k.

Surtees Short Bio

Full name: Janet Surtees Arness

Age: To be updated

Date of Birth: To be updated

Parents: To be updated

Husband: James Surtees

Children: One son

People Also Ask:

When did James Arness pass away?

James Arness died on June 3, 2011, at the age of 88 in his Brentwood home in Los Angeles.

How old was James Arness when he started Gunsmoke?

Arness was 32 years old when he was cast in the Gunsmoke series. The show ran for two decades, becoming the longest-running primetime drama series in US television history by the end of its run in 1975.

How much did James Arness get paid for each episode of Gunsmoke?

In the early years of Gunsmoke, James Arness received $1,200 per episode for his role as Marshal Matt Dillon. He renegotiated his contract and began earning $20,000 per episode once the television show won accolades and became more famous. This would have cost roughly $150,000 now.