Clay, bronze, bright thread, and animals offer a vivid way into Loranda Stephanie Spaulding’s life. She made sculpture, tapestries, and needlepoint while living within a family famous for music and acting. I find those materials more revealing than the label of a Hollywood wife. They point toward an artistic practice of her own, even though a commercial career is not established.
Loranda was also known as Stephanie Zimbalist, the same name by which her actress daughter became famous. She was the second wife of actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and the mother of the performer known for playing Laura Holt in Remington Steele. Keeping mother and daughter distinct is essential to telling either story accurately.
Washington Beginnings and a Diplomatic Family
Loranda was born on March 1, 1933, in Washington, D.C. Her surname appears as both Spaulding and Spalding. The variation does not justify creating two separate people; it reflects an unsettled spelling within the public family account.
Her father is identified as Francis Lecompte Spalding, a United States consul general. Her mother, also named Loranda Stephanie, is connected with the family of Edgar L. G. Prochnik, a former Austrian minister to the United States. Another maternal surname has appeared, but the genealogy is not fully reconciled here.
The family connections are known in outline, while the daily experience of her early years remains much less clear.
Marriage to Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. was born on November 30, 1918. He became known through television series including 77 Sunset Strip and The F.B.I. He was a widower before marrying Loranda, who is identified as his second wife.
The marriage chronology contains a significant conflict. At her death in 2007, Efrem described her as his wife of 51 years, pointing toward a marriage beginning around 1956. A December 1961 divorce date also appears in the family outline. Those details do not fit together without further explanation.
It is enough to say that they were described as long-married at her death while an incompatible divorce date remains unresolved. A purported 1941 wedding is plainly inconsistent with her 1933 birth and should be discarded.
Their Daughter Stephanie
Their daughter, Stephanie Zimbalist, was born on October 8, 1956, in New York City. The family later moved to Los Angeles. Stephanie attended Marlborough School and Foxcroft School and studied at Juilliard before developing her acting career.
She became particularly well known as Laura Holt in Remington Steele. That career belongs to the daughter, not to Loranda. I find the shared name an easy place for confusion to begin: a short mention of Stephanie Zimbalist may refer to either woman unless the relationship is made clear.
Loranda herself is not established as a screen actress. Her creative life was expressed through visual and textile work rather than a documented filmography. A family with several performers can also contain artists whose work follows a quieter route.
Sculptures Bright Thread and Animal Subjects
Loranda sculpted in clay and bronze and made tapestries and needlepoint. Animal subjects, particularly roosters and cows, appeared prominently in her work. Bright colors were part of the description of those pieces.
I can imagine the contrast between a bronze form and a vivid textile, but I would not claim to have seen particular works or assign them titles. There is no established gallery representation, exhibition schedule, or sale price to include. Her artistic practice should not automatically become a commercial success story.
Animals were also present beyond the artwork. The family kept an unusual assortment, described as including apes, llamas, deer, and farm animals. Efrem remembered her as shy and quiet with people but comfortable communicating with animals. That is his recollection of her, rather than a personality diagnosis.
His comparison of her with a deer gives the portrait a delicate image.
A Family With Musical Roots
Efrem’s father, the elder Efrem Zimbalist, was a violinist. His mother, Alma Gluck, was a soprano. Loranda therefore joined a family whose artistic history reached beyond television into classical music.
Writer Marcia Davenport also belongs to the wider Zimbalist family. These connections help establish the creative setting around Loranda, although they do not tell us which relatives influenced her work or how frequently they gathered.
| Person | Connection to Loranda |
|---|---|
| Francis Lecompte Spalding | Father |
| Loranda Stephanie | Mother |
| Edgar L. G. Prochnik | Maternal family connection |
| Efrem Zimbalist Jr. | Husband |
| Stephanie Zimbalist | Daughter |
| Efrem Zimbalist | Father-in-law |
| Alma Gluck | Mother-in-law |
Solvang and Her Final Years
Loranda died at home in Solvang, California, on February 5, 2007, after a long illness with lung cancer. She was 73, less than a month away from her 74th birthday. Efrem outlived her and died on May 2, 2014.
She was buried in the Zimbalist family plot at Town Hill Cemetery in New Hartford, Connecticut. The recorded inscription begins with words from the hymn “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” In the context of her remembered affinity with animals and color, I find that detail particularly resonant without needing to invent who selected it.
FAQ
Who was Loranda Stephanie Spaulding?
She was Efrem Zimbalist Jr.’s second wife and the mother of actress Stephanie Zimbalist. Her surname also appears as Spalding.
Was she an actress?
A screen acting career is not established. Her known creative interests included sculpture, tapestries, and needlepoint.
When did she die?
She died on February 5, 2007, at home in Solvang, California, at age 73, after lung cancer.
Is the marriage timeline settled?
No. A description of a 51-year marriage in 2007 conflicts with a December 1961 divorce date. The conflict remains unresolved here.
