I just found out that Jennifer Runyon, the actress we all remember from Ghostbusters, passed away recently. She was 65 years old and died after a battle with cancer. The news took me by surprise because I didn’t know she was ill.

For those who don’t remember her, Jennifer Runyon was the student Bill Murray tested at the beginning of Ghostbusters back in 1984. Although her role was brief, it left a lasting impression on many. She also appeared in Charles in Charge, a popular 80s comedy, where she played Gwendolyn Pierce. She took part in other series like Quantum Leap and 《Murder, She Wrote》, so she was a fairly well-known face on American television during that time.

What’s interesting is that Jennifer Runyon decided to step away from Hollywood at some point. She married Todd Corman in 1991, they had two children, and they moved to Idaho and Oregon to raise their family away from the industry. Years later, she returned to Los Angeles to care for her parents. In a 2014 interview, she mentioned that she was practically retired and working as a teacher.

Her daughter Bayley wrote something beautiful on social media: “all the best parts of me come from you.” That says a lot about the kind of person Jennifer Runyon was beyond the screen. Rest in peace.