Who is Patty Petersen? All You Need to Know About the Former Child Actress

Patty Petersen is a former American actress; she was active in the 1960s as a child actress playing the role of Trisha Stone in the sitcom The Donna Reed Show. Patty’s older brother also starred in the show. Besides acting, Patty has done so many things in her life. For instance, after leaving the show, she became a country singer for a while, but she later left to focus on her family. Additionally, during her prime, Patty Petersen appeared in several industrial films and commercials. She later transitioned from the entertainment industry and founded an internet company for authors.

Early Life and Education

Patty Petersen was born on December 2, 1954, to Lawrence Petersen and Wilma Faye Luce. Patty had a normal childhood, but she later realized that she was interested in acting. Her brother had already begun his acting career. Patty wanted to be like her brother, and lucky for her, someone who had a major role in the show was leaving; this left a spot that Patty grabbed.

Regarding her education, Patty Petersen has not been so open about the institutions she attended. However, it is okay to assume that she attended some of the best schools in America because she was making some money from her appearances on The Donna Reed Show.

Personal Life

Despite being a retired actress, Patty Petersen does not like her personal details being in the open. As such, she has kept a low profile regarding most details about her personal life. However, Patty is married to a man whose last name is Mirkovich. Patty is a mother to two grown children: a daughter named Melissa Mirkovich and a son named Tim Mirkovich.

Patty has not been open about her love life, but hopefully, she is still together with her husband, and they are happy.

Professional Life

Patty ventured into the entertainment industry before turning 10. She joined The Donna Reed Show in 1963 after Shelly Fabares left; Patty took the role of Trisha Stone, Donna Reed’s adopted child. Patty appeared on 99 episodes of the show and she stayed on the show until it ended in 1966.

After the show ended, Patty Peterson went on to appear in several commercials. She also appeared in some industrial films. Patty also became a country singer and songwriter for a while; some sources indicate that she was influenced by her husband. However, at some point, Patty realized that she had a lot on her plate. As such, she left the entertainment industry for a while so that she could focus on raising her children.

Patty later came back and founded an internet company to help inspire and grow novice authors. Besides that, Patty Peterson serves on the Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts as a board member.

Her Brother

Patty Petersen’s brother had a great acting and singing career. However, he has been struggling lately, mainly because of his health. In 2019, he was diagnosed with COPD (emphysema); he talked about it and mentioned that it meant that he would need supplemental oxygen. In 2021, he contracted covid and later developed Guillain-Barre Syndrome.