The Year In Review 2023: In Memoriam Soap World Tribute

While every year seems more brutal than the last, 2023 was its own brand of awful. The soap world lost young and old alike, iconic stars and ones who had so much more left to accomplish. Death was not choosy and played no favorites…everyone was eligible. The hits kept coming to a community already feeling so much pain.

Soap World Losses

As 2023 comes to a close, Soap Hub recalls the many beloved members of Days of our Lives, General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Young and the Restless, and many from soaps that are no longer on the air who passed away during the year. You can click on each person’s name to read more about them.

January 6: Michael Levin, was beloved on Ryan’s Hope as Jack — one half of a super couple with Kate Mulgrew’s Mary Ryan. He was 90 years old.

January 11: Ben Masters played Julian Crane as bigger than life on NBC’s Passions. He was 75.

January 29: Annie Wersching made a huge splash all over primetime but daytime fans knew her as Amelia on General Hospital. She was 45 at the time of her passing.

March 27, Nneka Garland was the glue behind the scenes that held GH together. She was a producer and passed away at 49 years old.

April 8: Elizabeth Hubbard was mesmerizing as Althea on The Doctors and blew us away as Lucinda on As the World Turns. She was 89.

April 15: Lynda Myles earned two Daytime Emmy Awards for her script writing and wrote on many soaps during her very prolific career. She was 83.

April 24: Bronwen Booth played Andy on One Life to Live. She was 59 years old.

May 9: Jacklyn Zeman may have started off on OLTL as Lana but it was her iconic turn as Barbara Jean “Bobbie” Spencer on GH for which she will forever known. She was 70.

May 15: Sharon Farrell played Nina’s mom Flo on The Young and the Restless. She passed away at 82.

June 14: Brett Hadley played Paul Williams’s cop father Carl for many years. He was 92.

June 26: Nicolas Coster was probably on more soaps than any other actor. He passed away at 89.

July 6: Jeffrey Carlson broke new ground for the soap when he was on All My Children as Zarf who later was revealed as Zoe. He was 48.

July 9: Andrea Evans played Patty on Y&R, Tawny on B&B, and Rebecca on Passions, but it was her role as Tina on OLTL that made her the icon she was. She passed away at 66.

July 23: Pamela Blair was Bonnie on Another World and Mrs. Goodman on AMC, but it was her turn as Rita Mae on Loving that won our hearts. She was 73.

August 15: Chip Dox was a production designer behind the scenes on DAYS and GH. He passed away at 80.

August 18: Nancy Frangione was Tara on AMC, she subbed as Tina for a bit on OLTL, but she was a force as Cecile on AW. She died at 70.

August 24: Arleen Sorkin achieved so much in her lifetime but DAYS fans will always love her as Calliope. She was 67 years old.

August 26: Bob Barker was probably responsible for thousands of pets getting neutered but he was also the beloved host of The Price Is Right. He passed away just short of 100 at 99.

September 15: Billy Miller arrived on the daytime scene as Ricky on AMC, but his Billy Abbott on Y&R made fans fall in love with him. He arrived on GH as a replacement Jason but instead created a nuanced Drew. He died at age 43.

October 31: Tyler Christopher mesmerized fans the moment he arrived in Port Charles, winning GH fans’ hearts for decades. He then created an amazing character on DAYS in Stefan O. DiMera. He was 50 years old.

November 1: Peter White played the son of Phoebe Wallingford on AMC — Linc, who had captured hearts when he was paired onscreen with Francesca James. He died at 86.

December 6: Ellen Holly put OLTL on the map when her groundbreaking character tried to pass as white. In later years, she appeared as a judge on Guiding Light. She was 92.

December 9: Bob Miller was responsible for some of the most amazing costumes seen on daytime TV, including Felicia’s (Kristina Wagner) wedding gown on GH.

December 24: Kamar de los Reyes played Antonio on OLTL, a pivotal member of the Vega family who certainly made his mark on Llanview. He was 56.

Soap Hub sends condolences to all who loved these talented people who were lost this past year.