Remembering the Soap Stars We Lost in 2018

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.