Laurie Bartram was an American actress and ballet dancer who rose to fame for her role as Brenda in the 1980 horror film Friday the 13th. She was one of the first victims of the notorious killer Jason Voorhees, who stalked and murdered the counselors of Camp Crystal Lake. But in real life, Bartram faced a different kind of killer: pancreatic cancer. This article will explore how Laurie Bartram died from this deadly disease and how she lived her life before and after her brief stint in Hollywood.
Early Life and Career
Laurie Lee Bartram was born on May 16, 1958 in St. Louis, Missouri. She started acting and dancing at a young age, appearing in two episodes of the TV series Emergency! in 1973, credited as Laurie Brighton. She also had an uncredited role in the 1974 horror film The House of Seven Corpses as Debbie. In 1978, she joined the cast of the soap opera Another World as Karen Campbell, a recurring character.
But her most memorable role came in 1980, when she was cast as Brenda in Friday the 13th, one of the most influential and successful slasher films of all time. She played a cheerful and friendly camp counselor who enjoyed playing strip Monopoly with her friends and archery with her crush. She also had a memorable scene where she screamed after finding a bloody axe in her bed. She was later killed by Jason’s mother, Pamela Voorhees, who threw her through a window and then slit her throat.
Bartram’s performance as Brenda was praised by critics and fans alike, who considered her one of the most likable characters in the film. According to Wikipedia, she was also one of the few actors who did not use a stunt double for her death scene. She later said that she enjoyed working on the film and that she had a lot of fun with her co-stars.
Personal Life and Faith
After Friday the 13th, Bartram decided to leave the entertainment industry and pursue a different path. She became a born-again Christian and enrolled at Liberty Baptist College (now Liberty University), where she met her future husband, Gregory McCauley. The couple married and had five children: Lauren, Scott, Jordan, Francis, and Isabelle. They also home-schooled their kids and moved to different states, including Washington and Virginia.
Bartram remained active in her local community, directing and choreographing theater productions, making costumes, doing voice work for businesses, and appearing in commercials and billboards. She also stayed in touch with some of her Friday the 13th co-stars, such as Adrienne King and Harry Crosby.
Diagnosis and Death
In 2007, Bartram was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive and lethal forms of cancer. According to The Celebrity Deaths, she died on May 25, 2007, nine days after her forty-ninth birthday. She was survived by her husband and her five children.
Her death was mourned by many fans of Friday the 13th, who remembered her as a talented and sweet actress who brought joy to the screen. The documentary His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th was dedicated to her memory, as well as several other deceased cast and crew members.
Laurie Bartram may have left this world too soon, but she left behind a legacy of love, faith, and courage that will inspire generations to come.
