It’s always hard to say goodbye to the many stars who have entertained and inspired us over the years, but 2025 had us especially heartbroken.
Leslie Charleson
Following a long illness, the General Hospital mainstay passed away at age 79 on January 12. Needless to say, we will never forget her exploits as Monica Quartermaine, whose idea of playing doctor didn’t always require a stethoscope. (Review highlights of the actress’ long stay in Port Charles.)
David Lynch
Five days short of his 79th birthday, Twin Peaks’ co-creator, who was said to have started smoking at age 8 and suffered from emphysema, died at the home of his daughter Jennifer, who directed Sherilyn Fenn from Dad’s primetime supernova in Boxing Helena.
Francisco San Martin
On January 16, the actor died by suicide at just 39 years old, Forbes reported. San Martin originated the role of Dario Hernandez on Days of Our Lives and appeared on Bold & Beautiful as Mateo, the masseur Sheila Carter hired to seduce Quinn Forrester away from then-husband Eric.
Tony Roberts
Serpico actor Tony Roberts passed away on February 7, 2025. With many credits to his name, he had a few daytime ones as well, including The Edge of Night (Lee) and All My Children (Dr. Rosenstein). He also appeared as Max Kellerman in ABC’s 2017 remake of Dirty Dancing.
Bruce French
The veteran actor, who recurred throughout Passions‘ run as Father Lonigan — who despite being blind could always see trouble coming! — died on February 7 at age 79, our sister site The Hollywood Reporter learned from his wife Eileen Barnett, who was Brooke Hamilton on Days of Our Lives.
Peter ‘Navy’ Tuiasosopo
The primetime actor passed away on February 10, 2025, as shared by his family via Facebook. He appeared on numerous series such as Magnum P.I., New Girl, Black-ish and NCIS, to name a few, and did a seven-episode stint on The Young and the Restless as Koa in 2011. His character worked at a general store in Hawaii and was a contact of Victor’s during the investigation into the death of Adam’s wife Skye.
Alice Hirson
Valentine’s Day served up broken hearts to the actress’ loved ones, as she passed away at age 95. “We lost a radiant soul and a daytime legend yesterday,” General Hospital star Chris L. McKenna (Brennan) shared on Instagram. “Unforgettable woman. Her final words were ‘It’s nice to have an audience.’” Hirson played Stephanie Martin on The Edge of Night, Marsha Davis on Another World (and spinoff Somerset), Eileen Siegel on One Life to Live (opposite Tom Berenger, above) and Mrs. Van Gelder on General Hospital. But she may be best known as Miss Ellie’s pal Mavis Anderson on Dallas.
Roberta Flack
Singer Roberta Flack passed away on February 24 at the age of 88. Known for such hits as “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly With His Song,” she also sang “Tonight I Celebrate My Love,” the theme song for Days of Our Lives’ Bo and Hope.
Michelle Trachtenberg
In February, the sad news broke that the All My Children grad, who played Jackson Montgomery’s adopted daughter Lily in the mid-1990s, had died at just 39 years old. Trachtenberg is even better known for her roles on Gossip Girl and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
James Houghton
Months after the actor-writer’s death from mesothelioma on August 27, 2024, his wife shared that he had, in fact, passed away. Houghton was Greg Foster on The Young and the Restless, Kenny Ward on Knots Landing and Cash Cassidy on Dynasty II: The Colbys. He also won four Emmys as one of Young & Restless’ scribes.
Felicia Minei Behr
The first female daytime-TV producer, Behr died on March 2 at age 82. Not only did she help launch All My Children in 1970, she became the show’s EP 19 years later. Behr was also in charge of Ryan’s Hope when it was cancelled and held the top job at As the World Turns from 1996-99. Later, she became senior vice-president of ABC Daytime, back when it still had four soaps on the air.
Pamela Bach
The Young & Restless alum who originated the role of conniving Mari Jo Mason died by suicide in early March. The actress, just 62 when she passed, also starred for years on Baywatch and was married to that series star, fellow Young & Restless grad David Hasselhoff.
Martin Davich
In March, Days of Our Lives’ Susan Seaforth Hayes announced the passing of Emmy Award winning film and television composer Martin Davich. He not contributed work to the Salem soap but to General Hospital as well.
Mark Dobies
If you watched soaps in the early 2000s, you knew this handsome actor, who passed away on March 11 at age 65. After playing doctor with Reva Shayne on Guiding Light as Noah Chase, Dobies joined One Life to Live as Daniel Colson, a D.A. who turned murderous to keep his affair a secret from wife Nora Buchanan.
Wings Hauser
Wings Hauser, father of Yellowstone’s Cole Hauser (Rip), passed away at 78 on March 15, 2025. With over 115 credits to his name, longtime The Young and the Restless fans will remember him for playing Greg Foster on and off from 1977 to 2010. He also played J. Jay Jones on primetime soap Beverly Hills, 90210 and had one of his last appearances as Jack Flanagan on Castle.
Wink Martindale
Wink Martindale, the iconic game show host for Tic-Tac-Dough, Gambit and High Rollers, passed away on April 15 at the age of 91. Daytime viewers may recall him from his guest appearance on The Bold and the Beautiful as Reverend Brown, the officiant at Bill and Brooke’s wedding in 2016.
Lar Park Lincoln
From the late 1980s into the early ’90s, the scene stealer helped keep Dallas spinoff Knots Landing on the map as Karen Fairgate’s vixenish daughter-in-law, Linda. The actress, also famed for her appearance in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, died at just 63 years old on April 22.
Ruth Buzzi
Funny lady Ruth Buzzi passed away on May 1, 2025. Daytime fans may remember her from playing Nurse Kravitz on Passions, as well as Letitia Bradford on Days of Our Lives.
Denise Alexander
From Port Charles to Bay City, tears flowed freely when the news broke that the soap legend had died at age 85. Alexander had played Julie’s frenemy Susan Hunter on Days of Our Lives, sent shockwaves through the industry by joining General Hospital as Lesley Williams and flipped the script again by moving to Another World as Mary McKinnon.
