Lara Parker

[Midnite]

KLS posted on social media that Lara Parker passed away this past Thursday.  The sad news was not shared until today at the family's request.  So shocking!

RIP, Lara.

[michael c]

i haven't posted here in years. but this one really stunned me. love to our little community.

[Bob_the_Bartender]

This is shocking news. First, it was Terry Kirkman, leader of The Association, then actress Suzanne Somers and now the beautiful, talented and unfailingly gracious Lara Parker.

Requiem aeternam, Ms. Parker.

[Annie]

How sad that is she was a beautiful actress with such grace and kindness .
She will be missed .May she rest in the peace of heaven.
Anne 😢

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Lara Parker, the Witch Angelique on ‘Dark Shadows,’ Dies at 84
In her first professional acting gig, she battled the vampire Barnabas Collins on the ABC daytime serial. Years later, she wrote four novels based on the show.

[KMR]

I was so shocked to see the news when I saw it--it was the first thing on my Chrome home page when I came home after work today. So sad. I think this one hits me harder than the other passings in recent years. She has always had a special place in my heart, especially since I met her and had a (very brief) conversation with her at a summer stock theater in my hometown during the original run of DS. She was such a sweet and gracious person, and her passing is a great loss to all of us. Farewell, Ms. Parker.

[Uncle Roger]

This is so sad. I first met Lara at the 1983 Shadowcon. DS fandom was relatively new and I had no idea what to expect. The actors probably didn't either. But they were all friendly and accessible. I had a chance to ask Lara a question when she had a free moment. I knew that she had worked with Brian DePalma early in his career. I asked if she thought that he would become as successful as he did.She said no, adding that she did not especially like working with him because he was always trying to get her to do stuff that she did not want to do. Me being me, I said What did he want you to do? Drop your drawers? Lara was taken a bit aback. Then she laughed. Not the Angelique laugh. A real laugh. She said Well, yes! And that established the relationship that we had for forty years.
At one of the Newark festivals, there were photos on display of Lara  in the green dress posed seductively on the grounds of Lyndhurst. I took one look at the photos and said Tramp in the woods! Well, someone repeated it to Lara and ascribed the remark to me. She wasn't offended. Far from it, she laughed hysterically and said that she loved having me around.
My last encounter with Lara was at the last festival in Tarrytown. Sunday night, getting ready to drive home. Lara was in the lobby. When she had a moment, I went to say goodbye to her. I don't recall much of the conversation except this. She very quietly told me how much she loved me and kissed my cheek. I felt like I was thirteen years old all over again. That is how I will remember Lara.
Rest in peace, dear lady.

[Gerard]

Mark Goddard (Major Don West on Lost In Space), Suzanne Somers, and now our beloved Lara Parker.  As a kid, Don West was my favorite on LIS, Angelique Bouchard was, well, so many things to me, and then in my early adult years, there was Chrissy (Christmas) Snow.  We're in sad times.

Gerard

[Josette]

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!  I'm so sorry.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Lara Parker, Angelique on Cult Favorite 'Dark Shadows,' Dies at 84

R.I.P. Lara Parker, Angelique on the gothic soap ''Dark Shadows''
She captivated audiences as she went up against Barnabas Collins, and later wrote several novels based on the show. The actress, author, and teacher was 84.

ICON GONE Lara Parker dead at 84: ABC soap opera star best known for vengeful witch role on Dark Shadows dies at Los Angeles home
LARA Parker, an actress known for her role on the ABC soap opera Dark Shadows, has died at age 84.

Lara Parker dead at 84: Actress who starred in ABC soap opera Dark Shadows passes away in her sleep at her home in Los Angeles

Lara Parker, Witch Angelique on ‘Dark Shadows,’ Dies at 84

They all have something different to offer...

[Mysterious Benefactor]

People have been wondering if I picked today's screen capture/quote in the "MUST" slideshow -

Ep #372 (1795) - Angelique - 'Oh really, she MUST have because
I don't know how else they could have come here.'

- because of Lara's passing. Well, as nice as that would have been to do, I didn't because I picked the quote and got the screen capture days ago. And what's a bit freaky is that it was actually on the day she passed. (The funny thing is Lara will also be featured in tomorrow's screen capture.)

And it's also pure coincidence that Lara is also featured in the graphic/quote for today's NoDS slideshow -

Page 27/Scene 67A - Angelique: 'When I'm not with you...this is
my way of feeling you near...I sit alone...and play this song...I
see your smile.'

- and one of the screen captures in the 1969 section of the second Robservations slideshow -

1969: Ep #864 - Angelique laughs off 'Quentin's' suspicion that
she's seeing another man.'
(Recall that's actually Petofi in Quentin's body.)

[Robot_Quentin]

Such terribly sad news... I was literally beside myself yesterday for an hour yesterday, with tears on my face... Such a gut punch.

The people here on this forum DO realize how much this show, this world, the actors, mean to us. I thank everyone for sharing their stories of Lara. She seemed like such a sweet person, and really took the time with the fans, and DID understand our well-intentioned obsession with the show (and her).

Only interaction I had personally with Lara, was when I bought her book from her website back in the early 2000s. She took the time to sign it and write a heartfelt short note in her gorgeous handwriting. She even wrote out the name and address on the outside of the padded envelope. I will cherish that.

She'll always be in my heart as my first childhood crush. Thank you Lara (Ms. Rickey) for everything. I'm sure to my last dying day, I'll be watching you and loving every minute!!!!

I used to have this dream I met her in an elevator at some random place and was able to thank her for giving my life so much joy. Strange, but true. 

[patrickm]

Like everyone else, I was stunned hearing the news about Lara passing. It was definitely unexpected and a gut punch.

Like the others, most of my contact with Lara was at autograph lines at either the festivals, Ed Lambese gatherings or the Hollywood Autograph Show - with one exception.

I organized her Barnes and Noble Wolf Moon Rising book signing here in Orlando in 2013.  She even stayed over at my house!  She had just come in from 4 days at Dragon Con in Atlanta and was exhausted but you wouldn't know it. Prior to the signing, we went to Wal-Mart to get a new suitcase  - hers took a beating from the tour ...lol. The following day our group took her to dinner then to the signing. She read some excerpts, did a Q & A and signed copies along with posing for photos. She seemed genuinely thrilled at the turnout, which besides  NYC, was the best on the tour. I was determined Orlando wasn't going to disappoint. The following morning took her to the airport for the next tour stop. There is a pic of our group from the signing in her tour report on her blog.

I certainly hope that Jim Pierson puts together some sort of Memorial combo tribute for everybody we have lost since the last Fest - including John Karlen whose Memorial was scrubbed for covid but also for Mitch Ryan, Chris Pennock and now Lara. They gave a lot for Dark Shadows fandom  - it's the right thing to do.

[PennyDreadful]

Heartbroken.
She sounded so good when I interviewed her less than a year ago.
After the interview, she stayed in the Zoom we chatted for a little while. She asked me a bunch of questions about the podcast, Penny, and other thngs. We both taught/teach college writing classes, so we talked about that a bit as well. I remember hanging up after it was over and thinking, "Wow, she's really cool." And she was.

[Philippe Cordier]

I was mesmerized by Angelique as a child . . . how could someone so beautiful be so evil? And that impression was indelible. I would never have believed that one day I would see her in person (at more than one DS festival).

Lara Parker was a skilled actress as her many performances in film and television show, and I'm grateful to have seen her in "Love Letters" at one of the Festivals - the best performance I've seen in that role, and I've seen two others).

Something was drawing me to "check the DS forum" earlier tonight, which I haven't done in some time, and now I now why . . .

Tears, tears, tears . . .