Dian Friml Lupton

Lupton, Dian Friml (1935-2005)
Dian Friml Lupton was born in Flushing, New York in 1935. Her parents were Ruth and Rudolph Friml Jr. She was the first granddaughter of music composer Rudolph Friml, who wrote the operetta, "Vagabond King", and "The Three Musketeers". He also composed "Indian Love Call" from "Rosemarie", and the "Donkey Serenade" from the film "The Firefly". After a short stay on the East coast, the family moved to Hollywood, California where Dian went to school and her father Rudy Friml, Jr. became a music contractor for the studios. After Dian graduated from school, she went to work part time as a movie extra but never really liked the film business. When her grandfather's operetta "Vagabond King" was going to be made into a film by Paramount Studios, Paramount offered her a film contract and a part in the picture, but Dian turned it down and went instead to live in Hawaii where she married and had one son, Edward. After several years in Hawaii, she got divorced and moved back to Los Angeles where she met her future husband, actor John Lupton, star of The Broken Arrow series. She soon went to work as a hostess at Frascati's restaurant in Beverly Hills and worked there until the restaurant closed. She then took a job at Junior's Delicatessen in West Los Angeles where she eventually worked in the catering division for 25 years until she retired several years ago. For the past year Dian had been battling lung and brain cancer and passed away at her home in Los Angeles on Saturday, July 2, 2005 at age 69. Dian is survived by her son Edward and two sisters. There are no services pending but contributions in her memory can be made to the American Cancer Society.