Patricia Blair’s net worth at the time of her death is estimated at approximately $10 million. This is an editorial estimate calculated from published online figures, not an amount confirmed by her estate. Blair was a classic television and film actress best remembered as Rebecca Boone in Daniel Boone and Lou Mallory in The Rifleman.
Published estimates differ considerably and offer little documentary evidence. We therefore treat $10 million as a contextual estimate rather than a verified statement of her assets, liabilities or estate value in 2013.
Patricia Blair net worth at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Estimated net worth at death | Approximately $10 million |
| Published figures reviewed | $5 million, $5 million and $20 million |
| Birth name | Patsy Lou Blake |
| Known for | Daniel Boone and The Rifleman |
| Active career | Primarily the 1950s through the 1970s |
| Died | September 9, 2013, aged 80 |
| Cause of death | Breast cancer |
How we calculated the $10 million estimate
Two published profiles estimate Blair’s wealth at $5 million, while another places it at $20 million. The simple average is:
($5 million + $5 million + $20 million) ÷ 3 = $10 million.
The $20 million claim is substantially higher than the other two and does not include estate records, so confidence in the final average is low to moderate. We excluded a $38 million result because it appeared to mix Patricia Blair the actress with another person named Pat Blair. Mixing identities is a frequent problem in automated celebrity databases.
No probate filing, property schedule, salary record or statement from Blair’s representatives was found that verifies one exact figure. Her marriage to land developer Martin S. Colbert also does not establish what property she personally owned after their 1993 divorce.
Who was Patricia Blair?
Patricia Blair was born Patsy Lou Blake in Fort Worth, Texas, on January 15, 1933. According to her published obituary, she modelled as a teenager and moved to Los Angeles at 17 to pursue acting. Producers encouraged the professional name Patricia Blair.
She built a screen career around Westerns, crime dramas and adventure productions. Her two defining television characters—Lou Mallory and Rebecca Boone—continue to introduce her work to viewers through classic-TV broadcasts and home-media releases.
Daniel Boone and her most famous role
Blair played Rebecca Boone, the wife of Fess Parker’s title character, throughout the six-season run of NBC’s Daniel Boone from 1964 to 1970. The role placed her at the centre of a popular frontier adventure series rather than in an occasional guest spot.
Her sustained presence across roughly 118 episodes represents the strongest career basis for her reported wealth. A long television contract can provide salary stability and industry visibility, but her actual weekly pay and contractual terms have not been made public.
The Rifleman and Lou Mallory
Before Daniel Boone, Blair appeared as Lou Mallory in 22 episodes of The Rifleman during 1962 and 1963. Lou operated the hotel in North Fork and became an important recurring character alongside Chuck Connors’ Lucas McCain.
The role is a strong secondary entity for Blair’s biography because many viewers remember her from both Western series. It also helps distinguish her from Linda Blair, the actress known for The Exorcist, and from other public figures named Pat or Patricia Blair.
Patricia Blair’s films and other television work
The AFI Catalog documents her feature-film credits under several names, including Pat Blake and Patricia Blake. Her early films included Jump Into Hell, Crime Against Joe, The Black Sleep and City of Fear.
Her television credits included appearances in Yancy Derringer, Perry Mason, Bonanza, My Three Sons and The Virginian. Her last widely documented feature-film role was as a fashion narrator in the 1979 Robert Redford and Jane Fonda film The Electric Horseman.
The previous version of this article incorrectly called one of her films City of Angels; the correct title is City of Fear. Reliable filmographies also do not support every credit previously attributed to her.
How did Patricia Blair make her money?
Television acting
Her multi-season work on Daniel Boone and recurring role on The Rifleman were probably the most consistent sources of career income. Exact salaries from those contracts are not publicly available.
Feature films and guest appearances
Blair accumulated film roles and television guest credits across several decades. These projects contributed to her lifetime earnings, although no dependable source breaks down individual payments.
Later trade-show production
Her obituary reports that Blair produced trade shows in New York and New Jersey during her later years. That is a documented post-acting activity and a more defensible income entity than the unsupported investment portfolio described in the old article.
Did Patricia Blair earn royalties from reruns?
Classic episodes featuring Blair have continued to circulate, but continued broadcasting does not prove that she or her estate receives a specific royalty amount. Residual rules and individual contracts vary, especially for productions created in the 1960s.
We have therefore not added guessed syndication, streaming or merchandise revenue to the estimate. Even if an estate receives payments today, those post-death receipts are not automatically the same thing as Blair’s personal net worth on September 9, 2013.
Marriage and personal life
Blair married land developer Martin S. Colbert in 1965. The marriage ended in divorce in 1993, and published biographies report that they did not have children. Colbert died the following year.
The old article claimed that Blair owned property in Beverly Hills and Studio City and made unspecified business investments. We found no dependable documentation for those assertions, so they have been removed from the estimate.
Patricia Blair’s death and obituary
Patricia Blair died at her home in North Wildwood, New Jersey, on September 9, 2013. She was 80. Her obituary reported that the cause was breast cancer.
Searches for “Patricia Blair obituary” or “cause of death” refer to the Daniel Boone actress—not Linda Blair. Her death date also means that “net worth in 2026” is the wrong framing; the relevant search intent is her estimated wealth at death in 2013.
Frequently asked questions
What was Patricia Blair’s net worth when she died?
Insights Journal estimates her net worth at death at approximately $10 million, based on the average of three published figures. The estimate is not confirmed by estate records.
What was Patricia Blair’s cause of death?
Her obituary reported that she died from breast cancer on September 9, 2013.
Who did Patricia Blair play in Daniel Boone?
She played Rebecca Boone, the wife of Daniel Boone, portrayed by Fess Parker.
Who was Patricia Blair in The Rifleman?
She played Lou Mallory, the hotel operator and a recurring character during the later seasons.
Was Patricia Blair related to Linda Blair?
No reliable biography identifies the two actresses as relatives. Patricia Blair should not be confused with Linda Blair of The Exorcist.
Was Patricia Blair married?
Yes. She was married to land developer Martin S. Colbert from 1965 until their divorce in 1993.
What was Patricia Blair’s last film?
Her last widely documented feature-film appearance was in The Electric Horseman in 1979.
Final estimate
Patricia Blair’s long television career, particularly six seasons of Daniel Boone, provides the clearest explanation for her financial success. However, claims about luxury properties, investment portfolios, endorsements and streaming income are not supported by reliable public records.
Using the average of the available published figures, $10 million is a reasonable editorial estimate of Patricia Blair’s net worth at death. It should remain clearly labelled as an estimate unless verifiable estate or contract information becomes available.