Tawny Kitaen – “Take Me Home Tonight” Los Angeles Premiere – Arrivals – Regal Cinemas L.A. Live – Los Angeles, CA, USA – Photo Credit: Tommaso Boddi / PR Photos
Birth Name: Julie E. Kitaen
Place of Birth: San Diego, California, United States
Date of Birth: August 5, 1961
Ethnicity:
*Ashkenazi Jewish (father)
*English, Scottish (maternal grandfather)
Tawny Kitaen is an American actress and media personality. She is the daughter of Linda (Taylor) and Terry Kitaen. She was raised Jewish.
Tawny has two children with her former husband, baseball player Chuck Finley.
Tawny’s paternal grandfather was Joseph J. “Joe” Kitaen (the son of David Kitaen and Goldie Levine). Joe was born in Russia, to Jewish parents. David’s mother’s surname was Faria.
Tawny’s paternal grandmother was Eleanor R. Ellis (the daughter of David Ellis and Ida Schneider/Schinder). Eleanor was born in New York, to Russian Jewish parents.
Tawny’s maternal grandfather was Guy Edward Taylor (the son of Fred Ward Taylor, Jr. and Winona/Nona M. Lackey). Fred was the son of Fred Ward Taylor and Ada Bowerman. Winona was the daughter of William Andrew Lackey and Sidney I. Morehead.
Tawny’s maternal grandmother was Pearl Elizabeth Strakon. Pearl was adopted by Laurenz/Lawrence Strakon and Rebekka A. Tannenbaum. Laurenz was from Rohrbach, Pfaffenschlag bei Waidhofen, Austria, and his parents were born in Bohemia. Rebekka was Jewish, and was born in Bukovina, to parents surnamed Tannenbaum and Handler.
Sources: Genealogy of Tawny Kitaen (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Tawny’s father on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Tawny’s paternal grandparents, Joseph J. “Joe” Kitaen and Eleanor R. Ellis – https://www.familysearch.org
Tawny’s paternal grandfather, Joseph J. “Joe” Kitaen, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Tawny’s paternal grandmother, Eleanor R. Ellis, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Tawny’s mother on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Tawny’s maternal grandfather, Guy Edward Taylor, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Tawny’s maternal grandmother, Pearl Elizabeth Strakon, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Tawny’s maternal grandmother, Pearl Elizabeth (Strakon) Taylor – http://www.legacy.com