Doris Packer

---

title: "Doris Packer" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1904-births", "1979-deaths", "actresses-from-greater-los-angeles", "actresses-from-michigan", "people-from-menominee,-michigan", "military-personnel-from-michigan", "american-film-actresses", "american-stage-actresses", "american-television-actresses", "women's-army-corps-soldiers", "university-of-california,-los-angeles-alumni", "20th-century-american-actresses"] description: "American actress (1904–1979)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Packer" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American actress (1904–1979) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

Field	Value
name	Doris Packer
image	Doris Packer in The Beverly Hillbillies (Doris Packer).jpg
caption	Packer in the TV series The Beverly Hillbillies, episode The Clampett Look, 1963
birth_date
birth_place	Menominee, Michigan, U.S.
death_date
death_place	Glendale, California, U.S.
resting_place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
known_for
occupation	Actress
years_active	1953–1975
alma_mater	University of California, Los Angeles
spouse
::

| name = Doris Packer | image = Doris Packer in The Beverly Hillbillies (Doris Packer).jpg | caption = Packer in the TV series The Beverly Hillbillies, episode The Clampett Look, 1963 | birth_date = | birth_place = Menominee, Michigan, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Glendale, California, U.S. | resting_place = Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale | known_for = | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1953–1975 | alma_mater = University of California, Los Angeles | spouse = Doris Packer (May 30, 1904 – March 31, 1979) was an American actress, possibly best known for her recurring role as Mrs. Cornelia Rayburn, Theodore Cleaver's elementary school principal in the television series, Leave It to Beaver.

Packer portrayed the mother of millionaire playboy Chatsworth Osborne, Jr. on CBS's The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Before that, she played Clarice Armitage, mother of Milton Armitage, whose character on the series Osborne replaced. She also portrayed an unfavorite teacher, who was retiring after 30 years, on "My Favorite Martian". In most of her screen roles, she was known for her aristocratic and intellectual bearing and precise use of the English language.

Background

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Doris_Packer_and_Irene_Ryan_in_The_Beverly_Hillbillies_(The_Clampett_Look).jpg" caption="Doris Packer and [[Irene Ryan]] in the TV series ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]'', episode ''The Clampett Look'', 1963"] ::

Packer was born in Menominee, Michigan. Her family moved to southern California when she was quite young. She became interested in acting while in high school. After attending the University of California at Los Angeles, she moved to New York City to study under noted drama and dance teacher Evelyn Thomas. Packer also appeared in Broadway shows.

During World War II, Packer enlisted in the U.S. Army Women's Army Corps (WACs), joining in 1943 as a Private and eventually reaching the rank of Technical Sergeant. Her discharge records were likely lost in the 1973 fire at the Military Personnel Records Center.

Packer appeared in an episode of Colgate Theatre in 1958 and played wealthy society matrons on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and I Love Lucy and Mrs. Wiley on The Andy Griffith Show. She had a recurring role as Clara Mason in the 1960-61 sitcom Happy. Packer played Mrs. McGillicuddy in the 1961 episode "Gladys' Political Campaign" on the CBS sitcom Pete and Gladys.

She played Grandmother Nedra in S3 E35 (1962) of The Twilight Zone entitled "I Sing the Body Electric". She played the wealthy Mrs Huntingdon in a 1963 episode "I'm No Henry Walden!" on CBS's The Dick Van Dyke Show. She appeared on three episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies as wealthy matron Mrs. Fenwick. She made a guest appearance on Perry Mason in 1962 as Mrs. Campion in "The Case of the Polka Dot Pony". She also played Mrs. Rayburn in "Leave it to Beaver".

During the first season of Petticoat Junction in 1964, Packer appeared in the thirtieth episode, titled "Kate and the Dowager". She portrayed a hotel guest whom Kate Bradley was trying to impress. She played retiring high school teacher Miss Hortense Pringle in a season two episode of My Favorite Martian entitled "We Love You, Miss Pringle" in 1965.

Family

Packer was married to stage director Rowland G. Edwards for 25 years — from September 29, 1928 until his death on August 10, 1953. The couple had no children.

Death

Packer died, aged 74, in 1979 in Glendale, California, of natural causes. Her body is interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, with her grave marker noting her military service.

Filmography

::data[format=table]

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1953	Meet Me at the Fair	Mrs. Swaile
1954	About Mrs. Leslie	Boutique customer	Uncredited
1955	Teen-Age Crime Wave	Juvenile Court Judge	Uncredited
1956	Anything Goes	English Woman in Audience	Uncredited
1962	Bon Voyage!	Mrs. Henderson	Uncredited
1962	Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation	Hostess	Uncredited
1966	Paradise, Hawaiian Style	Mrs. Barrington
1967	The Perils of Pauline	Mrs. Carruthers
1975	Shampoo	Rozalind	(final film role)
::

References

References

1. (April 15, 1933). "LYTELL TO STAR IN PLAY: "Reunion In Vienna" Starts Stock Season at Newark Monday". [[The New York Times]].
2. (June 6, 1932). "NEW STOCK COMPANY.: The Broome Stagers to Open With "Back Fire" June 13.". The New York Times.
3. "Doris Packer: World War II U.S. Army Enlistments U.S. Army Enlistment Record".
4. "The 1973 Fire, National Personnel Records Center".
5. Wilson, Scott. ''Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons'', 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::