AceShowbiz - Virginia Patton has passed away aged 97. The "It's a Wonderful Life" actress - who played Ruth Dakin Bailey in the 1946 comedy classic - allegedly died at an assisted living facility on August 18 in Albany, Georgia. Her passing was listed by Mathews Funeral Home.

Tributes led by Virginia's co-star Karolyn Grimes poured in for the late star. "We have another angel! Virginia Patton Moss. She was 97 years old. She is now with her beloved Cruse. She will be missed!" Karolyn wrote on Facebook.

Virginia was born in Cleveland, Ohio in June 1925, and graduated from Jefferson High School in Portland, before she relocated to Los Angeles to study at the University of Southern California. The movie star went on to land leading roles in 1947's "The Burning Cross" and 1948's "Black Eagle" after her role in "It's a Wonderful Life".

However, she decided to step back from acting to look after her family in the 1940s, with her big-screen finale being 1949's "The Lucky Stiff". She tied the knot with automotive executive Cruse W. Moss in 1949, with whom she had three children, and the pair were married for almost seven decades. However, he sadly died in 2018.

Away from the acting world, Virginia would go on to become a docent at the University of Michigan's Museum of Art and president and director of the real estate and investment firm Patton Corp.

The businesswoman was the niece of General George S. Patton.