General Hospital, The Mod Squad Alum Michael Cole Died At 84

General Hospital alum and the last living member of The Mod Squad has died. He was 84 years old.

A Full And Vibrant Life

According to USA Today, publicist Rachel Harris announced that the actor passed at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. Cole’s representative said he died “peacefully this morning, surrounded by loved ones, after living a full and vibrant life.”

“Beyond his career, Michael Cole will be remembered for his warm and generous spirit,” a statement provided by Harris read. “Known among friends and family for his wit, charm, and boundless compassion, he brought joy to every room he entered.

“A storyteller at heart, he had a way of making those around him feel special, often regaling them with anecdotes from his Hollywood days or sharing wisdom from his remarkable journey.”

Cole portrayed Pete Cochran on the ABC series The Mod Squad, which ran from 1968 to 1973. He starred alongside  Clarence Williams III (Linc Hayes) and Peggy Lipton (Julie Barnes).

In 1991, Cole was Harlan Barrett on GH. Harlan showed up in Port Charles to help save the “S.S. Tracy.” During his time in PC, Harlan dated Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot, who helped this soap icon). Ultimately, Bill Eckert (Anthony Geary) shot and killed Harlan. Harlan’s children are Julia Barrett (Crystal Carson) and Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil, who teased some backstage secrets).

A prolific actor, his first credit came with Forbid Them Not in 1961 and ended with the short, Father’s Day, in 2010. In between, he had credits on Gunsmoke, Wonder Woman, The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, 7th Heaven, and ER, to name just a few.

Born on July 3, 1940, Cole grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. In the early years of his life, his older brother, Ted, his mother, Kathleen, and he lived in his grandmother’s house, and his father wasn’t in the picture.

At 16, he got married and had two children, Candi and Jeff, quickly. By the time Cole turned 20, he was divorced. After moving to Los Angeles, a broke Cole lived on the streets. Acting coach Estelle Harman gave him free acting lessons, which changed things for him and ended up helping him get started in his career.

Cole married again and had another daughter. They ultimately divorced. In 1996, Cole married Shelley Funes, and she helped him get sober. He is survived by Funes and his three children. Soap Hub sends its deepest condolences to Cole’s family, friends, and former co-stars during this difficult time.