Eternally Cherished: A Tribute to the Beloved Soap Stars We’ve Lost During the First Half of 2025
It’s hard to believe that the first half of 2025 is already over and with each year, we always take a moment a few times throughout to remember those that the daytime industry has lost. Whether it be soap opera stars or various people behind the scenes, we’ll never forget the mark they left through the shows they worked on and the characters they brought to our screens.
Back in March, we brought news surrounding heartbreaking losses and honored stars such as legendary General Hospital actress Leslie Charleson (Monica), The Bold and the Beautiful’s Francisco San Martin (Dario), All My Children’s Michelle Trachtenberg (Lily), with both of the latter having tragically lost their lives at just 39, and many others.
In April, many grieved iconic game-show host Wink Martindale, best known for leading the fun on such series as Tic-Tac-Dough and High Rollers, and some CBS viewers may recall that he played Reverend Brown in 2016, the officiant at Bill and Brooke’s wedding. And a week later, Knots Landing’s Lar Park Lincoln (Linda) passed away.
On the first of May, the actress who played Passions’ Nurse Kravitz and Days of Our Lives’ Letitia, funny lady Ruth Buzzi, died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. And later that month, fans were rocked once again when news came that Denise Alexander (General Hospital’s Lesley, Days of Our Lives’ Susan) had passed away back in March at the age of 85. Of the loss, General Hospital’s executive producer Frank Valentini shared, “I am so very sorry to hear of Denise Alexander’s passing. She broke barriers on-screen and off, portraying Dr. Lesley Webber — one of the first female doctors on daytime Television — for nearly five decades.”
Valerie Mahaffey, who began her daytime career playing Ashley on The Doctors also passed in May, and then in June, there was the loss of Pamela Peters Solow, who appeared as Peggy on Young & Restless and beloved General Hospital and Bold & Beautful actor Chris Robinson (Dr. Webber, Jack) died at 86. Plus, we also said goodbye to Lynn Hamilton and Joe Marinelli, both having had multiple roles on various soaps.
While the stars are no longer with us, they will live on through their characters and will never, ever, be forgotten.
