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Mundie bacon 1951 - 2002

Munday Bacon of Oakland, Alameda County, CA was born on August 16, 1951 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County to Dona L Drake and William J Travilla. Munday Bacon died at age 51 years old on October 1, 2002 at Hospital in Los Angeles, and was buried at Cremated.

Munday Bacon

Nia Novella Travilla

Oakland, Alameda County, CA 94609

August 16, 1951

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States

October 1, 2002

Hospital in Los Angeles, CA

Female

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Munday Bacon's History: 1951 - 2002

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Introduction

Nia Novella Travilla was the only daughter of actress/singer Dona L Drake (1914 - 1989) and clothing designer William J Travilla (1920 - 1990), who was better known simply as "Travilla". Travilla, an Oscar winner for costume design, is likely best remembered for designing Marilyn Monroe's wardrobe in many of her films. Her father was born on Santa Catalina Island, California and her mother was born in Miami, Florida. There is a very touching story which appeared in The San Francisco Examiner where Bill talks about Nia's transition from childhood into becoming a teenager. Bill had hired her to work at a salon, and while he had promised himself to limit the clothes he designed for her, he had felt the calling to help her transition into adulthood. See Sophistication for the Teen-Ager for the story and Bill Travilla discusses designing for daughter Niva Travilla for the image that appeared in the article. Nia was born in Alameda County California just a few days before her parents' 7th wedding anniversary. She lived in Southern and then Northern California her entire life and married 24 year old Jose L. Ariza when she was 19 on June 26th 1971 in Los Angeles. Twenty two years later the couple divorced in May of 1973. While she initially studied to become an actor, her family's love of animals (the Travilla family had a collection of exotic pets) became Nia's true calling. She became a noted local veterinarian, and bred Schnauzers.
08/16

1951

Birthday

August 16, 1951

Birthdate

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California United States

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

Nia Travilla was a mixture of Caucasian and Black. Her paternal roots ran back in California for 3 generations, before that her father's family can be traced back to the state of Pennsylvania. Nia's maternal grandparents, her mother's parents, were from Arkansas (grandfather) and Alabama (grandmother). According to Wikipedia, Nia's mother, Dona, had grandparents who were of black and mixed heritage. In the 1920 Federal census, Dona and both of her parents were described as "mulatto". Dona's unique appearance gave her versatility in her film roles, playing Latin American and Middle Eastern parts. She even toured with an all-girl band in the 1940s called "Dona Drake and her Girl Band", claiming to be Mexican.
Nationality & Locations

Born in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County and living in California her entire life, Nia attended Santa Monica High School. She also lived at 3215 Telegraph Ave in Oakland in Northern California, Carpenter Ave in North Hollywood, Southern California, and at 31 Haviland Ct. in San Pablo California, in Northern California.
Early Life & Education

Nia attended Santa Monica High School where she was a member of the high school band "The Samohi".
Professional Career

Nia was a veterinarian and also a dog breeder of Schnauzers. There is a record of a Nia Travilla getting in legal trouble for defrauding businesses out of $1 million in 1982 with Paul DeLuca and Russell McNiff in Los Angeles. See Three businessmen guilty of conspiracy for details.
Personal Life & Family

Nia was the only child of William Travilla, known professionally simply as "Travilla", who was a well respected costume designer in Hollywood. He began his work on "B" movies but quickly made a name for himself when he won an Oscar in 1959 for the Errol Flynn movie "Adventures of Don Juan", and again in 1951 for the costume designs for the movie "The Day the Earth Stood Still". He is likely best remembered for creating the costumes for Marilyn Monroe which appeared in films "Don't Bother to Knock", "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", and others. Nia's mother, Dona Drake, who was born Eunice Westmoreland (11/15/1914-6/20/1989) was a singer, dancer, and film actress who was particularly popular during the 1930s and 1940s. Her ancestry allowed her to play many different types of roles including Latina, Middle Easterner, American Indian, and even gypsy. She is likely best remembered for playing the American Indian maiden Jenny in the Bette Davis film, "Beyond the Forest" (1949).
10/1

2002

Death

October 1, 2002

Death date

Unknown
Cause of death

Hospital in Los Angeles, CA
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

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Funeral date
Cremated
Burial location
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Mundie bacon lived 22 years shorter than the average family member when died at the age of 51.

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6 Memories, Stories & Photos about Munday

Kathy Pinna

32.7k+ favorites

06/27/2022

Nia Travilla

Photo of Nia Travilla added to Ancestry by lloyd86420

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Bill Travilla discusses designing for daughter Niva Travilla

Daniel Pinna

10.5k+ favorites

08/10/2022

Bill Travilla discusses designing for daughter Niva Travilla

This very touching article where father Bill Travilla discusses designing clothes for his daughter Mundie bacon for the first time appeared in The San Francisco Examiner in 1968. See Sophistication for the Teen-Ager for the full transcription of the article.

The captions read: Nia Travilla, top, models gown which fits her sophisticated new teen image, designed by her dad, Bill Travilla, above, who also created Diahann Caroll's bare-midriff dress.

Actress Dona Drake, left, mother of Nia Travilla, photographed 20 years ago in what could be 1968 costume fashion. Nia, above, whose acting career starts soon, wears sophisticated cashmere and camel outfit to pose with one of the many exotic pets in the family menagerie.

Date & Place: December 1, 1968 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California United States

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Kathy Pinna

32.7k+ favorites

06/27/2022

Nia Travilla and parents

Nia Travilla and her parents, Dora and William Travilla Added to Find A Grave by "the Chronicler" - photo probably taken in the early 1960s

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Nia Travilla Santa Monica High School 1968

Daniel Pinna

10.5k+ favorites

08/10/2022

Nia Travilla Santa Monica High School 1968

The 1968 Santa Monica High School yearbook photo of Nia Travilla.

Date & Place: 1968 at Santa Monica High School 601 Pico Blvd, in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California 90405, United States

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Daniel Pinna

10.5k+ favorites

05/04/2023

Three businessmen guilty of conspiracy

LOS ANGELES (UPI) - Three people who pulled off an elaborate $1-million swindle by mailing out phony invoices and collecting payments for non-existent shipments of business supplies have been convicted of conspiracy and mail fraud.

A federal court jury deliberated for three hours Tuesday before returning the verdicts against businessmen Russell McNiff, 45, and Paul DeLuca, 44, and Nia Travilla, 30, a horse breeder - all of Los Angeles.

Postal authorities said that the three defrauded unwary businesses of more than $1 million between 1976 and 1981. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce G. Meritt said the defendants had operated a "duplicate billing system." He said they obtained copies of legitimate invoices by various sellers to businesses around the country and then altered the quantities of merchandise ordered and the amounts due.

Businesses were then told over the phone that they had not paid for merchandise, which in fact had never been shipped. About 10 to 15 percent of the businesses paid, apparently because they did not have adequate accounting procedures.

- Auburn Journal January 22nd 1982

Comments

Daniel Pinna

10.5k+ favorites

08/10/2022

Sophistication for the Teen-Ager

The following appeared in the San Francisco Examiner in San Francisco California on Sunday December 1st 1968 written by Mary Stanyan:
Beverly Hills - Fashion times have changed for teen-agers, as well as for their big sisters, mothers and grandmothers, sighed movie and couture designer Bill Travilla. He's learned this close to home, from his daughter Nia, 17, beautiful, and apparently possessed of a talent inherited from her actress mother, Dona Drake. As soon as she turns 18, she starts on an student-acting program at 20th Century Fox.

"I promised myself never to make anything for Nia until her graduation dress. The next would be her bridal gown. I thought it morally wrong for a young girl to wear designer styles, "Bill said, a wry grin on his craggy face. "Then last summer she came to work at my salon as a receptionist. Suddenly she wasn't the little girl I'd been picking up at Santa Monica High, or who was so adorable in sweaters and skirts playing with our pet menagerie. She was a young woman in business. 'Looking cut' wasn't enough. So I made a few things to fit her new status. At first, she was reluctant to lose her 'mod' teenage look."

Happily, Nia decided that father knew best. Now, she loves the challenge of looking her age in a different sophisticated way. The new clothes are the kind Bill advises all teen-agers to choose when, even temporarily, they change from schoolgirl to career girl.

One outfit is a cashmere top, with long sleeves and high, frill-edged cuffs and collar, plus a flared camel skirt. Another: a green velvet pantsuit with white cotton lace blouse. For evenings, there's a long white organza with Victorian bodice, such as Bill designed for actress-singer Diahann Caroll, TV's "Julia".

"Today the fashions we make - because the buyers demand it - are almost all youth-inspired. A woman of 60 or 30 or 17, with a properly cared-for figure, can wear just about the same thing and not look inappropriately dressed," Bill commented. "That's why I think today is the perfect time for every young woman to be absolutely great-looking. She can wear the best clothes, or copies of them, instead of having to wait 'til she grows up. The pity is, so often I see girls who spoil the look of good fashion by having baggy panty hose and dirty hair."

Bill has no set "Do's and Don'ts" for teen-agers, because, "What's supposed to be absolutely wrong, like horizontal stripes for a short girl," sometimes turns out to be absolutely right. His advice: Look in the mirror as if you were seeing your best girl friend. Find things about yourself that, if it were someone else, you'd be thinking, 'I wish she wouldn't do that.' Remember, proportion is a magic word that can mean the difference between looking attractive to boys, or a little bit repulsive."

A word more about attracting the opposite sex: "Men of all ages like simplicity plus femininity in clothes, whether they know it or not. Some prefer tailored simplicity, some the swing sort, others the flouncy kind. But the biggest attraction is a combination of bounce and perfect grooming. A healthy vigor and enthusiasm, neatness and shining cleanliness, are the best accessories a girl can have."

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Munday Bacon's Family Tree & Friends

Munday Bacon's Family Tree

Dona L Drake Nov 15, 1914 - Jun 20, 1989

William J Travilla Mar 22, 1920 - Nov 2, 1990

Mundie bacon Aug 16, 1951 - Oct 1, 2002

Partner

Child

Sibling

Friendships

Munday's Friends

14 Followers & Sources

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Other Biographies

Other Bacon Family Biographies

Holtz, Beverly (Oct 1, 1918 - Jun 26, 1992) Bacon, George Bacon, Alma (Born c. 1879) Bacon, Sarah (Dec 25, 1745 - Oct 15, 1819) Bacon, William (Born Jan 1848) Bacon, Everett (Jun 9, 1910 - Jul 10, 1994) Bacon, Arthur (Jan 29, 1917 - Oct 27, 2009) Bacon, Robert (Jan 7, 1916 - May 1966) Bacon, George (Nov 21, 1911 - Mar 28, 1997) Bacon, Walter (Jan 16, 1905 - Jun 1973)

Bacon, Plummer (Aug 26, 1884 - Dec 1967) Bacon, Norval (Jun 29, 1908 - Jul 1, 1991) Bacon, Helen Eliz (Mar 22, 1916 - May 1986) Bacon, Grace (Mar 18, 1901 - May 1967) Bacon, Yvonne (Oct 28, 1912 - Jan 24, 1997) Bacon, Stanley (Nov 2, 1914 - Oct 1984) Bacon, Betsy (Jan 16, 1922 - Sep 15, 1994) Bacon, Edgar (Nov 18, 1896 - May 1968) Bacon, John (Feb 25, 1900 - Jul 5, 1991) Bacon, Arnold (May 19, 1923 - Sep 21, 2004)

About the AncientFaces Community

Mundie bacon 1951 - 2002

Munday Bacon's History: 1951 - 2002

Introduction

Birthday

Ethnicity & Family History

Nationality & Locations

Early Life & Education

Professional Career

Personal Life & Family

Death

Gravesite & Burial

6 Memories, Stories & Photos about Munday

Munday Bacon's Family Tree & Friends

Munday Bacon's Family Tree

Munday's Friends

Other Bacon Family Biographies