Elizabeth Jane Carter Trent, 2022, Westlake Village, California—

Elizabeth Jane Carter Trent died peacefully in her sleep at home on August 12, 2022 at the age of 95 surrounded by family and friends.

Born on September 4, 1926, in Detroit, Michigan to Honora Carter and Joseph Carter, both predeceased, and was married for more than fifty years to Edwin Arthur Trent, of Illinois and predeceased. She is survived by her daughter, Cathy Ann Trent and her husband Robert Ingle of Westlake Village, CA: two granddaughters Caitlin Ashby Palmer, and husband Daniel Palmer and one grandson Wyatt Ashby Palmer 3 years of age of Aspen, CO; and Megan Trent Sweasey of Westlake Village, CA.

Beth grew up in Detroit and Gross Point, Michigan. At the age of six, after attending a ballet performance in Detroit, she expressed to her parents her passionate desire to become a ballerina. Having their doubts, ballet lessons were promised, but only after taking one year of piano lessons. One year later, piano lessons fulfilled, the piano lessons ended and her promised ballet training began. A lifetime ballet career resulted and her love of ballet never ended.

Following more than fifteen years of ballet training in Detroit, dancing with the Canadian Ballet Company and a teaching degree from Wayne State University, she and her husband left Detroit for Hollywood to advance her career on the big screen.

Beth’s dance career during Hollywood’s golden age included A Star is Born, with Judy Garland, becoming a Goldwin Girl and dancing in Guys and Dolls with Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, Oklahoma with Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae as well as other Broadway musicals put to film including Pajama Game with Doris Day.

She also danced with the Red Skelton Show. Choreographers she worked with included Michael Kidd, Bob Fosse and Gower Champion. She held the position of Board Member of the Screen Actors Guild for two terms. After retiring from the silver screen she taught Dance at Louisville High School in Woodland Hills, California for more than 10 years and moved to Westlake Village, CA in1977.

Always devoted to the arts, Beth served on the Board of Directors of both the New West Symphony and its predecessor the Conejo Symphony. She was a cofounder of those symphony’s long running Poinsettia Ball and the Irish Tea fundraisers bringing in more than $250,000 to those two organizations.

Once retired from her career in dance, she enjoyed Tennis at the Thousand Oaks Racquet club as well as Golf at Wood Ranch Country Club and North Ranch Country Club, playing bridge with her friends, and spending time with her family.

Her family will be holding a private service at a later date, however those wishing to donate in Beth’s memory may donate to the animal Charity, Furry Funding. www.furryfunding.org

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