I am so glad you are back and have joined me once again, my dear friends. Today’s blog post is going to be somewhat poignant.
Over the past couple of years, there have been some VERY significant deaths in the soap opera world. I am talking longtime characters who graced our soap screens, characters we fell in love with, or even hated, and became fixtures in our lives for YEARS. Heck, DECADES!
And how oftentimes when the actor, portraying said beloved characters, passes away, we feel as though a member of our own family has died.
So, count this as my memorium to some of these great actors and actresses. Because I could be on this topic ALL YEAR, I have decided to mention the actor and their most prominent role in daytime TV.
BE FORWARNED: IT IS A LONG POST!!! 😀
I shall start with the most recent soap passings and go backwards. So, here we go!
Tristan Rogers
Tristan Rogers – (June 3, 1946 – August 15, 2025) Oh my God!! Tristan Rogers’ Commissioner Robert Scorpio was just THE right character to bring onto General Hospital back in 1980/81. With his Aussie accent and suave demeanor and charming good looks, he really and truly stole the hearts of Port Charles and those of us watching. Tristan, fortunately, was a mainstay for pretty much over a decade before Tristan left to pursue other opportunities. And shouldn’t he? He really could have been the next James Bond! Not kidding! He was soooo damn sexy! NO ONE else could EVER play Robert Scorpio. Part secret agent, part commissioner, full-time father and lover and husband, he ran Port Charles the way it should have been ran. And there would be NO WAY IN HELL Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan Quartermaine – whatever – could get away with what they have gotten away with in PC’s later years. Tristan made on and off appearances in the latter decade on GH. And fun fact, but he also appeared off and on on Young & the Restless as a CRIMINAL for a decade or so plus. So, totally against his Scorpio character. I am still grieving Tristan since his death just happened. He will most certainly be missed.
Denise Alexander
Denise Alexander – (November 11, 1939 – March 5, 2025) Denise Alexander was EVERYWHERE back in the day. We are talking the late 60s here. Ms. Alexander started on Days of Our Lives, going up against Susan Seaforth Hayes’ Julie Olson!! In the late 80s, she popped up on Another World as the presumed dead Mary McKinnon. HOWEVER, her role on General Hospital as Dr. Lesley Webber is what she is most famous for. She was Laura Spencer’s (Genie Francis) bio mom! The sensible, kind, very real and fierce Dr. Lesley Webber, was married to Dr. Rick Webber (Chris Robinson, who also passed away this year!! Gee, I am getting depressed with all of these GH passings 🥹). Dr. Rick had an affair with Leslie Charleson’s character, Dr. Monica Quartermaine, whom I shall also be discussing later in this post. And poor Lesley endured the humiliation of finding out about their affair and supposed child together while Lesley was helping Monica deliver A.J. during a snowstorm! 😂 Denise Alexander handled it like a pro!! She even slapped Monica at one point in the storyline!! 😀😂
I always felt like Denise was one of my beloved teachers. It was like you could listen to her give you advice, tell a funny story, and just be a real person, ya know? I remember back in 1984, coming home from school and my grandmother telling me that Lesley died in a car accident. I was SO upset!!! Denise will be fondly remembered.
Mark Dobies
Mark Dobies – (April 3, 1959 – March 11, 2025) Mark played Nora Gannon’s (THE Hillary Bailey Smith) husband Daniel Colson on One Life to Live. So, let me start by saying Mark’s character was an in-the-closet gay man on the show! Which I thought was BRILLIANT and so realistic. But he was also a killer!!! LOLOL In my opinion, Mark truly was what the show needed at that time. I believe he was on from 2004 to about 2006. But in the story, he was having an affair with a young male college student, while married to our beloved Nora, who was formerly married to Commissioner Bo Buchanan (THE Robert S. Woods). And it was Bo who outed Daniel in front of the whole town!! I remember that, too! Great acting across the board. I thought Mark brought a very quiet, calmness to the role of Daniel Colson. And I actually friended him on Facebook and he accepted! I think I told him how much I appreciated him being on OLTL, and he responded with kindness. So, you can imagine how shocked and saddened I was to hear of his passing this year. Again, what I really appreciated about his role was the truthfulness of being a gay man who is married to a woman and the heartache and pain for EVERYONE involved!
Leslie Charleson
Leslie Charleson – (February 22, 1945 – January 12, 2025) Monica. Monica. Monica!!! I loved me some Monica!!! Yes, also from General Hospital. Leslie Charleson took over the role from Patsy Rahn way back in 1977 and maintained and kicked ass in that role until 2023 due to health challenges. Monica endured a lot while on GH, but she also stirred up LOTS of trouble in Port Charles, too. Her biggest pot stirring was her affair with Dr. Rick Webber. As stated above, Dr. Rick was married to Dr. Lesley, and boy did that create obvious tension between Monica and Lesley! 😂😂😂
(So, before there was Grey’s Anatomy with all of the multiple affairs going on in the hospital, there was GENERAL HOSPITAL! BOOM!)
Anyway, Monica was married to Dr. Alan Quartermaine (the absolutely phenomenal Stuart Damon, whom I will be discussing below, as well.)
But Monica had other affairs, too. Another notable affair was with Sean Donely (John Reilly, whom I will ALSO be discussing later in this blog post.) But one of the biggest and most shocking was her affair with her own nephew (not by blood, thank God!!) Ned Quartermaine (portrayed at that time by Kurt McKinney).
Monica had other drama, such as a long-lost daughter, breast cancer, and dealing with her husband Alan’s affairs!! But Monica and Alan brought the drama together, too!! They were meant for each other, definitely!
As I am finishing up this blog post, this week GH is dealing with Monica’s passing on the show. And surprise! Surprise! Erika Slezak (ex-Viki from OLTL) is supposed to show up as Monica’s long-lost sister!!!!!!!! In my opinion, I couldn’t think of a more fitting way to say goodbye to Leslie Charleson’s Monica.
Drake Hogestyn
Drake Hogestyn – (September 29, 1953 – September 28, 2024) This man was some VERY SERIOUS eye candy!!! Let’s see if I can get all of his characters str8. 😂 Um when he first appeared on Days of Our Lives back in ’86, he was Roman Brady, who was formerly portrayed by Wayne Northrop – who has ALSO GONE ON TO GLORY! Jeez! By the way, Wayne was married to Lynn Herring, who is Lucy Coe on GH!! Anyhoo, turned out that Drake’s Roman was not the real Roman, but a priest named John Black and a whole host of other characters! 😀😂 Let’s see – at one point he was known as the Pawn, Forrest Alamain, and I think several others. 😂😂 The point is Days went wild with trying to figure out what to do with Drake once the real Roman reappeared. At least that would be my guess. Eventually, he and “Doc,” became an item – Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), who herself has been on Days for forever and a day! The show lost such an incredible talent and hunk as Drake Hogestyn.
Robyn Bernard
Robyn Bernard!!!! – (May 26, 1959 – March 12, 2024) Okay. So, this one is a total shocker! I JUST learned about Robyn Bernard’s death. Apparently, she was found dead in a field last year, having died from acute alcohol intoxication!! So, flipping sad. She portrayed Terri Brock on GH back in the day. She was Bobbie Spencer’s stepdaughter from Bobbie’s marriage to D.L. Brock – played by David Groh who is also deceased! Damn! All three of them are GONE! Robyn’s Terri was such a BITCH in the beginning, especially to Jacklyn Zeman’s Bobbie, with Bobbie being the new “stepmonster” and all. 😂😁 However, over time the two bonded and became very close. Bobbie became a real mother to Terri, particularly when D.L. was murdered by Jenny Blake. Long story. Robyn also utilized her amazing singing talents on the show. 🎶 So, there were storylines surrounding that, even pairing her with Shaun Cassidy!! And what I REALLY liked about Robyn’s Terri was her SCREAMS!!!! Now by today’s standards, her screams would be considered “over the top,” terminology I actually hate. Because she was dealt with storylines that, well, were shocking and called for screams LOLOL. So, I guess you could say Terri was soap opera’s answers to Jamie Lee Curtis’s scream queens. But whatever, I truly enjoyed Robyn Bernard’s Terri. Fun fact: Her sister was Crystal Bernard from Wings.
Tyler Christopher
Tyler Christopher – (November 11, 1972 – October 31, 2023) Laura Vining Webber Baldwin Spencer Collins’ long-lost son, Nikolas Cassadine. Yes, child, CASSADINE! For those of you who know GH, know what a shock that was. Okay, so it was revealed that while Laura was missing between the end of 1981 and 1983, she was held on Cassadine Island, where she was forced to marry nutjob Stavros Cassadine and got pregnant with and had Nikolas. At one point, they tried to retcon it and say that Nikolas was the product of Laura’s affair with Stavros’s brother Stefan (Stephen Nichols from Days!!) while she was on the island. GH tried to say she fell in love with Stefan because he was gentler and kinder than the very cruel Stavros. In the end, Stavros ended up being the baby daddy after all. 😂 I remember when Tyler first came on the show way back in 1996. It seemed that Laura’s daughter, Lulu, who was a toddler at the time, needed a bone marrow transplant, and no one else in the family was a match. So, Laura called on a HUGE favor of the Cassadines and asked, no BEGGED if Nikolas could come and save her baby. And Tyler’s Nikolas arrived and then we were off to the races! Oh BOY what a major bombshell in the Spencer household! Nikolas did NOT get along with either Luke, Laura’s hubby at the time, and Lucky, Laura and Luke’s oldest. There were MANY fights between these three, and yes, even physical ones, particularly between Lucky and Nikolas. I thought Tyler did an exceptional job in the role. Now, there were other Nikolases who followed, but they just weren’t Nikolas in my opinion. And later by the time I had stopped watching GH, Tyler had left the role altogether. I think at one point he returned and left again. And then we lost him forever. I was so stunned to hear of his death. I just couldn’t believe it. There is someone I work with over at the Emory School of Nursing, who was a HUGE fan of GH, just like me. And we would lament over the number of soap stars from GH who passed away. And Tyler’s death was certainly a huge shocker.
Andrea Evans
Andrea Evans – (June 18, 1957 – July 9, 2023) THE REAL AND ONLY TRUE TINA!!! Andrea sadly passed away from breast cancer. Andrea portrayed the devilish, greedy vixen Tina Lord Clayton Roberts on One Life to Live. Andrea started on the show way back in 1978, at first as Viki Riley’s (Erika Slezak) goddaughter. But then in a strange, yet wonderful twist in 1985, it was revealed that Tina was actually Viki’s half-sister!! This revelation sent Viki into a tailspin, causing her to become Niki Smith again! GREAT STORYLINE, which really rocked Llanview and revitalized the show.
Andrea is just Tina. Other actresses came in and portrayed the role after Andrea had to leave in 1990 due to a stalker. I mean, both Karen Witter and Krista Tesreau (Mindy from Guiding Light!) did all right. They brought differences to the role, which were good. However, they just weren’t Andrea. Fun fact: I actually met Krista Tesreau back in ’95 during a soap event here in Atlanta! I met her and Keith Hamilton Cobb, who was on
All My Children at the time as Noah Keefer.
Anyway, Andrea returned in 2008 to OLTL, but I thought her return could have been and should have been better. She returned, again, towards the end of OLTL, and fortunately they got her back together again with John Loprieno’s Cord, her true love, and they remarried!!!!!! Again. I know. But I believe in my heart that it was forever this time. As a matter of fact, in my dream version of OLTL, Tina changed. I mean, she was still TINA, but she wasn’t scheming anymore. Perhaps she became more like Lucy Ricardo!! 😂 And she became a doting grandmother. And in the end, Tina sadly passes away with her loving family surrounding her, including Viki and Tina’s many nieces and nephews, Tina’s children and grandchildren. And of course, dying in Cord’s loving arms. Andrea will FOREVER be a fan fave!!!
Jacklyn Zeman
Jacklyn Zeman – (March 6, 1953 – May 9, 2023) Jackie portrayed the fabulous and fierce ex-hooker turned Head Surgical Nurse Bobbie Spencer Jones on GH. Bobbie was a mainstay starting back in 1977 until her death in 2023. What is funny is the day her character on OLTL, Lana McClain, died, her new role of Bobbie was stepping off the elevators on General Hospital! LOLOL Bobbie was such a fixture and force in Port Charles, enduring everything from blindness to paralysis to pretending to return to a life of prostitution in Florida to save a teen girl to illegally adopting a baby she later learned belonged to a friend of hers to finding her long-lost daughter who slept with her then husband, Dr. Tony Jones!!! You didn’t mess with Bobbie, because she would get into a catfight with you in a hot minute! Just ask her main rival, Lucy Coe Jones (played fiercely by Lynn Herring!!) And yes, she was the younger sister to THE Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary). Bobbie left quite a legacy on General Hospital, and she is sorely missed and much needed.
Stuart Damon
Stuart Damon – (February 5, 1937 – June 29, 2021) Dr. Alan Quartermaine on GH. You have heard some about Alan from above. But let’s take a deeper dive. Alan ALWAYS loved Monica, even though at times it seemed she didn’t love him, but she really did. Truthfully, they were meant for each other. One of Alan’s first big stories back in the day was when Monica left him for Rick, and he – uh – well, he tried to kill them both – TWICE! Failing both times. He actually tried to drop the roof of A.J.’s (HIS biological son, not Rick’s) nursery on top of the two of them, saving them at the last minute. And another time he was walking up the stairs outside where Rick and Monica were in bed together, and Alan planned to shoot them, but a gas main explosion stopped that! Now, Alan had his affairs, too. Lucy Coe (yes, Lucy Ho Jones LOLOL), Charity Gatlin, Rhonda, et al. But in my opinion the time he and BOBBIE were contemplating an affair was truly significant! Bobbie was married to Tony at the time, by the way. But they couldn’t go through with it. Thank God! I was so PISSED when they killed Alan off in 2007. But Stuart would continue to appear as a ghost, mostly to his sister Tracy Q (Jane Elliott). But I’m telling you Alan Q, was something else. He even battled a pill addiction. And if Stuart did not win an award for his portrayal, he was cheated. Stuart Damon was a class act, and STILL missed!!
John Reilly
John Reilly – (November 11, 1934 – January 9, 2021) Sean Donely from GH. Sean Donely was Robert Scorpio’s best buddy and ex-WSB (World Security Bureau) agent. What can I say about Sean? John Reilly was such a HOT and GOOD-LOOKING HUNK of a man! His Sean was so debonair, handsome and charming, much like Tristan’s Robert Scorpio. When John first appeared on GH, he was a villain. He was duplicitous and after the Aztec Treasure. Long story. And you can imagine the horror when Robert found out what a scoundrel Sean was!! Sean went to prison briefly, mended his ways, got out and even married Robert’s ex, Tiffany Hill (Sharon Wyatt)! And yes, Robert forgave Sean, and Sean became a family man and fixture in Port Charles for YEARS! GH even addressed Sean’s death. FYI – John Reilly also appeared in the soap Passions, alongside Andrea Evans at one point. But most notably to me, he also appeared in a couple of The Bionic Woman episodes with Lindsay Wagner back in the day!!
Clint Ritchie
Clint Ritchie – (August 9, 1938 – January 31, 2009) Clint, Clint, Clint. What can I say about this man? I am just absolutely IN LOVE with this guy, though he has been dead now since January 2009!! I don’t care. I admit my obsession with Clint Ritchie, who portrayed THE Clint Buchanan on OLTL from 1979 to 1998, and then with appearances off and on between 1999 and 2003. Jerry verDorn (ex-Ross Marler, Guiding Light) took over the role of Clint in 2005. And though he did a good job, because it is, well Jerry verDorn, the true essence of Clint Buchanan was lost. And instead, they turned Jerry verDorn’s Clint into a replica of Asa (Phil Carey). BIG MISTAKE! Mr. verDorn did a great job playing the nasty and mean Clint. But he wasn’t able to give us that raw passion that Clint Ritchie’s Clint Buchanan possessed. And ANYTIME Clint Ritchie’s Clint cried, it was heartwrenching!!!!! It was so raw and real to see a rough and tough, tumble cowboy break down. And by the way, speaking of cowboys, I never bought it from Jerry. Just didn’t buy that he was a cowboy. Clint Ritchie was a TRUE cowboy – boots, lingo and all.
Speaking of cowboys, yes, Clint Ritchie owned a ranch out in Arizona, which ended up being featured in a couple of storylines. Let me start by saying that Clint had been shot in the head in late 1987 by the evil Jamie Sanders (Mark Philpot) which left him blind!! Thinking it would please Clint, Viki moved the entire family out to Arizona to the ranch. In early 1988, against Viki’s wishes, Clint went out riding, his horse Oakie threw him, he hit his head, and when he woke up not only was he no longer blind, but he was in 1888!! 😂 He met up with lookalikes for both Asa and Cord, both of course playing dual roles, with Asa portraying Buck Buchanan, Clint’s great grandfather!! LOL
In the end, Viki had to go back in time to bring him back to the present! I originally skipped this story in 1988, because I thought it was too boring. But then I decided to watch the whole storyline on YouTube many years ago, and I was absolutely mesmerized and blown away!! The story was really good, with plenty of twists and turns, and even a dual role for Erika Slezak as Miss Ginny Fletcher!! The acting across the board was top notch. But most notably was Clint Ritchie’s performance, for which he should have won a Daytime Emmy not only for his realistic portrayal of a blind man, but of playing such a level of reality in the Old West story. Heck, the man should have won regardless during his tenure on the show.
And just like my Andrea Evans’ Tina’s ending, to this day in MY future version of OLTL, Clint Ritchie’s Clint lived long enough to remarry Viki, and Clint peacefully passed away with Viki and his family, kids and grandkids and great-grandkids by his side. And afterward, Viki vowed that she would never remarry again after Clint’s passing. EVER!
Honorable mentions: Before I end this post, I wanted to give honorable mentions to several other soap stars who have either recently passed OR who passed years ago, but they truly left a special place in our hearts.
Shell Kepler (Amy Vinings – GH) October 5, 1958 – February 1, 2008
Phil Carey (Asa Buchanan – One Life to Live) July 15, 1925 – February 6, 2009
Jeanne Cooper (Katherine Chancelor Sterling – The Young & the Restless) October 25, 1928 – May 8, 2013
Kathryn Hays (Kim Hughes – As The World Turns) July 26, 1934 – March 25, 2022
Thom Christopher (Carlos Hesser AND twin Mortimer Bern – One Life to Live) October 5, 1940 – December 5, 2024
Chris Robinson (Dr. Rick Webber – GH) November 5, 1938 – June 9, 2025. Yet ANOTHER shocking GH death this year alone!!!!!! My apologies, I should have included him above. But I had just learned about him passing recently.
Eileen Fulton (Lisa Miller Hughes Eldridge Shea Colman McColl Mitchell Grimaldi – As The Worlds Turns) Child, did I get all of her married names right and in the right order?? 😁 September 13, 1933 – July 14, 2025
And so many others! I would be here all day trying to bring closure to so many soap deaths. All I can say is one big old THANK YOU to all of our dearest and most beloved soap actors and actresses who kept us on the edge of our seats with their intriguing and larger-than-life characters! Rest high!
I don’t know about you, but a great many of these passings saddened me, as I felt like beloved members of my family died. And of very sad note, a lot of GH stars passed away this year alone. And GH was my show back in the day!!!😔
As I close this, it is vitally important that we keep our soaps alive!! 💖
Please return next time when I talk about Nervous System overload. Hey, maybe it is deeper than just anxiety or depression. So, please stay tuned!! And until then, please stay safe and mentally well!
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