Background
She is of Norwegian heritage on her mother"s side.
She is of Norwegian heritage on her mother"s side.
She attended the University of Guam at age 16, but after marrying a United States. Navy lieutenant when she was 17, she left to work as a waitress and saleswoman on United States. military bases throughout the Pacific Ocean to which her husband was posted.
She is the widow of radio personality Casey Kasem. Jean Thompson was one of five children born to Irene Celia Thompson (1919-2008) and Herbert Owens Thompson Senior (deceased). She lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, before her civil-servant father moved the family to Guam in 1963.
The marriage lasted six years.
She moved to California and unsuccessfully attempted to find work in broadcast journalism. Frustrated, she joined an acting workshop and soon found roles on such television series as Matt Houston, Fantasy Island and Alice.
She made a brief appearance in Ghostbusters as one of Louis Tulley"s party guests. She made guest appearances in several movies and television shows, including Growing Pains, Cybill, Hunter, Family Feud, Hollywood Squares, My Two Dads, Hope & Gloria and others
She holds twelve (12) patents with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, all pertaining to crib and canopy design, developed for her crib business, Little Mission Liberty Round Crib Company.
Casey Kasem had three children from a previous marriage: Kerri, Julie, and Mike Kasem. In October 2013, Kerri Kasem said that her father was suffering from Parkinson"s disease. A few months later, she said Casey Kasem had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, which is often difficult to differentiate from Parkinson"son
Owing to his condition, he was no longer able to speak.
The court denied their petition. On May 12, 2014, Kerri Kasem was granted conservatorship over Jean Kasem"s objection.
The court ordered an investigation into Casey Kasem"s whereabouts, after Jean Kasem"s attorney argued the court had no jurisdiction as he was "no longer in the United States", but did not give any information to the court about Kasem"s whereabouts. But after Casey was located in Washington State, Kerri Kasem was given custody.
Casey Kasem died on June 15, 2014, aged 82.
His widow was given her husband"s body for funeral arrangements.
Kasem played the recurring role of Loretta Tortelli, the dimwitted wife of Nick Tortelli (Dan Hedaya) on Cheers and as a cast-member of the short-lived spinoff The Tortellis.
