Anthony Dion Fay was the only adopted son of Hollywood actress Barbara Stanwyck and her first husband, Frank Fay. Born in Los Angeles in 1932, Anthony was adopted when he was still an infant. His relationship with Stanwyck later became distant, and the two spent most of their adult lives apart.
Anthony Dion Fay married, became the father of one son, and lived a much more private life than his famous mother. He died in California in 2006 at the age of 74.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Anthony Dion Fay |
| Birth name | Reportedly John Charles Greene |
| Date of birth | February 5, 1932 |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Adoptive mother | Barbara Stanwyck |
| Adoptive father | Frank Fay |
| Wife | Name not publicly confirmed |
| Children | One son |
| Known for | Being Barbara Stanwyck’s adopted son |
| Date of death | May 17, 2006 |
| Age at death | 74 |
| Place of death | Van Nuys, Los Angeles County, California |
| Cause of death | Not publicly known |
| Net worth | Not publicly known |
Anthony Dion Fay’s Early Life
Anthony Dion Fay was born on February 5, 1932, in Los Angeles, California. His birth name has been reported as John Charles Greene.
His biological mother reportedly gave him up for adoption when he was an infant. The names and backgrounds of his biological parents are not clearly documented in the available information.
Barbara Stanwyck and Frank Fay adopted him later in 1932. One report gives the legal adoption date as December 5, 1932, when Anthony was about 10 months old.
Why Barbara Stanwyck Adopted Anthony
Barbara Stanwyck and Frank Fay had married in August 1928. They did not have biological children together.
Biographical accounts claim their marriage was already experiencing serious problems when Anthony was adopted. Some reports say Stanwyck hoped having a child would help improve the marriage. This has been reported by later biographies but should not be treated as a confirmed statement about her private motivation.
The marriage did not improve. Frank reportedly struggled with alcohol, and accounts of their relationship include allegations of abusive behavior.
Stanwyck eventually filed for divorce.
His Parents’ Divorce and Custody
Barbara Stanwyck and Frank Fay divorced in 1935. Anthony Dion Fay became part of their custody dispute.
Stanwyck eventually received custody of him. Reports claim that Frank became less interested in maintaining a relationship with Anthony by the end of the custody battle.
Anthony therefore spent most of his childhood under Stanwyck’s care.
Who Was Barbara Stanwyck?
Barbara Stanwyck was a major American film and television actress. She was born on July 16, 1907, and built a career that lasted for decades.
Her best-known films include Double Indemnity, The Lady Eve, Stella Dallas, Night Nurse, and The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. She appeared in more than 80 films and later became successful on television.
Stanwyck married Frank Fay in 1928 and later actor Robert Taylor in 1939. Her marriage to Taylor ended in divorce in 1951.
Anthony remained her only adopted child.
Anthony’s Relationship With Barbara Stanwyck
Anthony and Stanwyck had a difficult relationship as he grew older.
Reports describe Stanwyck as a strict parent who placed strong expectations on his behavior and education. Anthony was sent to boarding schools and summer camps during his childhood.
He struggled academically. Robert Taylor reportedly said Anthony was not a bad child but received poor grades.
Anthony Dion Fay later admitted that he did not take his education seriously and regretted some of his decisions.
His Injury at Summer Camp
When Anthony was around 12 years old, he suffered a serious injury while attending summer camp and was hospitalized.
Anthony later claimed that doctors tried to contact Stanwyck but that she did not visit or call him.
The story comes from Anthony’s account and later biographical material about Stanwyck, so it is best understood as his description of what happened.
Education and Military School
Detailed records of Anthony’s education are limited.
As a teenager, his behavior and poor school performance reportedly became a growing concern. Stanwyck and Robert Taylor discussed his future with him, and Anthony was eventually sent to a military school in Indiana.
Stanwyck was reportedly willing to pay for him to attend a college of his choice. Anthony did not take advantage of the offer.
Years later, he acknowledged that his own choices had contributed to the problems between him and his mother.
Estrangement From His Mother
Anthony Dion Fay and Stanwyck became largely estranged by the early 1950s.
They reportedly had a brief lunch together in 1952, arranged by a relative Anthony called Uncle Buck. Their conversation was formal, and Anthony later described the meeting as being more like an interaction between strangers than between a mother and son.
It appears to have been their last known face-to-face meeting.
Anthony later tried to reconnect with her. According to his account, Uncle Buck told him that Stanwyck did not want to see him.
Anthony Dion Fay’s Marriage and Wife
Anthony was married by 1960, but his wife’s name is not clearly documented in the available sources.
Stanwyck reportedly did not attend their wedding, although Anthony had invited her. She instead sent the newly married couple a bathroom set as a gift.
Very little else is publicly known about Anthony’s marriage, including the wedding date and how long the relationship lasted.
Anthony Dion Fay’s Son
Anthony Dion Fay and his wife had one son.
His son’s name and date of birth are not reliably available in the supplied information.
When the baby was born, Stanwyck reportedly sent Anthony and his wife baby furniture and $100. Anthony later said that his mother never met her grandson.
His Work and 1960 Arrest
By 1960, Anthony was living a modest life and reportedly working at a motel. His exact position is not known.
That year, when he was 28, he was arrested for allegedly selling explicit books to teenagers.
One account states that he pleaded not guilty and had bail set at $500. Anthony told reporters at the time that he had not previously been in trouble.
There is little reliable public information about his later career. It is not known whether he continued working in the motel business or moved into another profession.
Did Anthony Reconcile With Barbara Stanwyck?
There is no evidence that Anthony Dion Fay and Stanwyck ever fully repaired their relationship.
Reports say Anthony continued to hope that they could reconnect. However, some accounts claim Stanwyck made it clear through other family members that she did not want contact.
One report also claims that she gave instructions preventing Anthony from visiting her during her final illness. This detail comes from secondary accounts and should be treated as reported rather than certain.
Barbara Stanwyck’s Death
Barbara Stanwyck died on January 20, 1990, at the age of 82.
Her death was associated with congestive heart failure, with some accounts also mentioning chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Anthony and his mother had been estranged for many years by then.
Another secondary report claims Stanwyck left Anthony a small amount of money with a condition that he not publicly discuss her. Reliable details about such an arrangement are limited, so the claim remains unconfirmed.
What Happened to Anthony Dion Fay?
Anthony Dion Fay continued living away from the Hollywood attention that surrounded his adoptive mother.
Public information about the final decades of his life is limited. There are few records about his career, marriage, son, or regular activities during those years.
Anthony Dion Fay died on May 17, 2006, in Van Nuys, Los Angeles County, California.
He was 74 years old.
His cause of death has not been publicly confirmed, and reliable details about his burial are also limited. He died about 16 years after Barbara Stanwyck.
Anthony Dion Fay’s Net Worth
Anthony Dion Fay’s net worth is not reliably known.
Although Barbara Stanwyck became wealthy through her Hollywood career, her financial success should not be used to estimate Anthony’s personal wealth.
Available reports show that Anthony was working at a motel in 1960, but there is too little information about his later career, assets, or income to provide a meaningful net worth estimate.
Interesting Facts
- Anthony Dion Fay was born on February 5, 1932.
- His birth name was reportedly John Charles Greene.
- He was born in Los Angeles, California.
- Barbara Stanwyck and Frank Fay adopted him as an infant.
- One report gives his adoption date as December 5, 1932.
- Stanwyck received custody of Anthony after divorcing Frank Fay.
- He was Barbara Stanwyck’s only adopted child.
- Anthony attended boarding schools and later a military school in Indiana.
- He became estranged from Stanwyck as a young man.
- Their last known meeting was reportedly in 1952.
- Anthony later married, but his wife’s name is not publicly confirmed.
- He had one son.
- Stanwyck reportedly never met her grandson.
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