DAYS Flashback: Goodbye Alice

Goodbye Alice. Let’s reflect and remember Frances Reid bringing the character of Alice Grayson Horton to our television sets for over 40 years and who passed away on February 3. Reid’s portrayal of the Horton matriarch Alice was the cornerstone of Days of our Lives, the pillar of the Horton family and the face of Salem.

On a personal level, I was saddened to hear the news when it broke across the daytime industry. I was overwhelmed with a sudden feeling of loss, a piece of my very own personal memory from my favourite soap on television now gone. Alice’s early life in 1965 Salem revolved around her five children, Addie (who in 1974 was killed), Mickey, Bill, Marie (who became a nun) and Tommy (who had been presumed dead in Vietnam). Alice was our donut queen, the beloved grandmother to many, including Hope Williams, Jennifer, Mike and Melissa Horton. Alice also shared a special bond with Addie’s two daughters, Hope and Julie and Mickey’s widow, Maggie Simmons Horton.

I tried to picture the devastation on Alice’s face as Hope may have broken the news of Mickey’s death to her only a few weeks back. Christmases will never be the same in Salem without Alice, but as long as we have DAYS, the Christmas tree ornament tradition will live on.

As we await the news on how or what DAYS will do with the character of Alice, we can only hope that if Alice is killed off that all the kings horses and all the kings men bring every man and his dog available back to Salem to say goodbye to our legend. Remember, Maree Cheatham (Marie Horton) and Lisa Trusel (Melissa) were back for Tom’s memorial service in the mid 90’s. Now is the time for DAYS to give Reid a much-deserved send off. The wish list is endless, but imagine the storytelling! These are the characters from the Horton family that brought soap entertainment to life in the 60’s, 70’s and 80's. Marie, Bill, Jennifer, Melissa, Doug, Julie, Marlena, Mike and Laura to name a few. 545 Sycamore Street, Salem will never be the same again. "Goodbye My Darling."