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Remembering the Soap Stars We Lost in 2018

By Chris Eades

The daytime community dimmed in 2018 as we lost many bright stars over the course of the year. From veteran GENERAL HOSPITAL star Susan Brown (Gail) to DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ beloved Peggy McCay (Caroline) and THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Elizabeth Sung (Luan), many talented performers left us. Talent from behind the camera left us as well, including prolific producer John Conboy and Emmy-winning head of GH makeup, Donna Messina.

Daytime stars died 2018

(Photo Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images; Gary Null/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images; XJJohnson/jpistudios.com)

Browse through the gallery below to remember those we lost in 2018 and celebrate their life and careers as well as what they brought to soaps.

For more on your favorite stars, keep reading Soaps In Depth magazine.

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  1. Donnelly Rhodes

    Ron Bull/Toronto Star via Getty Images
    Veteran actor Donnelly Rhodes was probably best known for playing Dutch Leitner on the primetime sitcom, SOAP, but the actor starred on a daytime soap as well, playing Phillip Chancellor II on Y&R from 1974-75. He passed away on Jan. 8 at the age of 80 following a battle with cancer.

  3. John Conboy

    Aaron Montgomery/JPI
    Legendary daytime producer John Conboy began his career in 1970 on LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING and moved on to produce Y&R in 1973. Over the years he also helmed CAPITOL, SANTA BARBARA, and GUIDING LIGHT. He died on Jan. 18 at the age of 83.

  5. Joseph Campanella Days

    Gary Null/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
    Actor Joseph Campanella’s show biz career spanned stage and screen, but he was best known to daytime audiences for his turns as Harper Deveraux on DAYS and Forrester attorney Jonathan Young on B&B. He passed on May 16 of natural causes at the age of 93.

  6. Rick Pessagno

    GH ran a special dedication at the end of the May 21 episode to Rick Pessagno, a Broadway performer who worked with the soap to choreograph the spectacular musical numbers at the annual Nurses Balls. He died in January at the age of 61.

  7. Elizabeth Sung

    Tara Ziemba/Getty Images
    Veteran stage and screen actress Elizabeth Sung was beloved to Y&R fans for her turn as Jack Abbott’s ill-fated wife, Luan, in the mid-‘90s. She died on May 22 at the age of 63.

  9. Robert Mandan Wide

    ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images
    Although Robert Mandan was best known for playing Chester Tate on the classic comedy SOAP, he also appeared in a number of actual daytime soaps, including THE EDGE OF NIGHT, THE DOCTORS, SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, SANTA BARBARA, DAYS, and GH. He passed away at the age of 86 on April 29.

  10. Deanna Lund

    Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
    Veteran television and movie actress Deanna Lund passed away on June 22 at the age of 81. She was best known to daytime audiences as Peggy Lowell on GH and Virginia Keyser on OLTL.

  11. Elmarie Wendel

    Jason Kirk/Newsmakers
    Best known for playing Mrs. Dubcek on the ‘90s sitcom 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN, Elmarie Wendel was familiar to GH fans for playing Peg, a woman who helped Michael when he ran away from home as a child. She passed away on July 21 at the age of 89.

  13. Susan Brown

    Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
    GH vet Susan Brown, who played Gail Baldwin on that soap and its spin-off, PORT CHARLES, died on Aug. 31 at the age of 86. She also made appearances on SANTA BARBARA and AS THE WORLD TURNS, as well as other soaps earlier in her acting career.

  14. Christopher Lawford

    Greg Doherty/Getty Images
    Actor Christopher Lawford played Senator Jordan for a brief stint on GH but was best known to soap fans for playing Philip “Charlie” Brent, Jr. on AMC from 1992-95. He died on Sept. 4 at the age of 63.

  15. Frank Parker

    Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Days Of Our lives
    DAYS fans mourned the loss of Grandpa Shawn Brady on Sept. 16 when actor Frank Parker passed away at the age of 79. His career also spanned primetime series like LOST IN SPACE and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE as well as films like The Concorde… Airport ’79.

  17. Peggy Mc Cay Jpi

    XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
    On Oct. 7, veteran DAYS actress Peggy McCay passed away at the age of 90. After appearing on GH as Iris Fairchild in the late ‘60s, McCay joined the cast of DAYS in 1983 and played Caroline Brady for over three decades, earning multiple Daytime Emmy Award nominations over the years. After her death, DAYS stars shared heartfelt remembrances of their dear friend.

  18. Maurice Benard Donna Messina Hug

    Instagram
    The GH cast and crew mourned the loss of one of their own when Donna Messina died on Dec. 6. After joining the soap as a makeup artist back in 1982, Messina eventually became the head of the hair and makeup department and earned multiple Daytime Emmy Awards for her work.

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