Oh my Lord...reading this list after watching today's B&B AND GH...I am a blurry-eyed mess. What a glorious list of legends. Seeing Ben Hendrickson on the list hit me particularly hard because he was so young when he passed. I think Hal Munson was poised to become ATWT's next patriarch, more so than Tom Hughes based on the writing at the time of his death. As a NBC soap baby, I often miss Tom Horton & Mac Cory when watching past clips of DAYS & AW.

Today's GH was beautiful and the Stephanie/Brooke scenes on today's B&B were lovely.

That's not a picture of John Beradino (Dr. Steve Hardy). I think it's Ray MacDonnell from AMC.

It is John Beradino, not Ray MacDonnell.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living-pictures/25-most-memorable-...

just finished watching today's GH.

a sad but great tribute to John Ingle.

Just finished watching GH. A wonderful tribute to John Ingle. I'm sure he was looking down from heaven at his beloved show and was proud. The ending was beautiful with Lila and Edward walking up the stairs to heaven.
But what is Heather's secret? She is like Alison Perkins on OLTL. I have a feeling what it may be but I won't say. I'm sure there will be surprises ahead. RIP John Ingle, I will miss you!

That is not Beradino, no matter what that EverydayHealth site says.

Okay, just to be safe, I swapped out the Steve Hardy pic! LOL Y'all got me paranoid.

It's a good list in the way that the people are the right ones - but the order is pretty strange. Tom Horton, Steve Hardy, and Asa Buchanan were all far more important people than people from Another World and Guiding Light. I mean, just look at which shows we have left. There is a reason why they are still there...

Tom Horton, Steve Hardy, and Asa Buchanan were all far more important people than people from Another World and Guiding Light.
***
By who's barometer? That might be the silliest comment I've ever seen on this site, and that's saying something! Guiding Light may not still be here (overused ...), but it was on for over 70 years and successfully jumped from one medium to the next. It might not be as important to you as the soaps currenty airing, but many others don't feel the same way.

But for the record, the list is in order from most recent to the one who passed away the longest time ago. :0

I watched GH today. Loved most of but he episode could have done without the cartoon antics of Heather and the over the top ending. It would have been nice to simply see the back of Edward's head and heard his singing. To see "Lila" with the bad wig ruined it for me. Why does Lila need a wheelchair and oxygen tank in heaven?? Isn't the air good enough up there??

Love the above list, but where is John Abbott???

That is definately John Beradino. And again with the Gram. (Audry)

Every time I read a soap article where Phil Carey, Robert S. Woods and Clint Richie (OLTL's Asa, Bo and Clint) talked about being real life friends and how much they enjoyed working together as the Buchanan men, I would get a lump in my throat. Sigh. I miss OLTL!

It's nice to see pictures of Palmer and Dr. Steve Hardy!

@nysam: This list is comprised of soap opera patriarchs who died and the actors who portrayed them who died as well. Jerry Douglas (Y&R's John Abbott) is still alive.

I agree what you said about Heather. At first, I was like, why is she on the show, but in the ending of the show, she kept saying she knows this secret about the Quartermain's so I think it is the start of another story-line (may-be someone isn't really dead OR there is another Q no one knows about?) And, the Q's never had a typical Thanksgiving, something always went wrong, so putting Heather on explained it. As for Lila and Edward, I loved the ending. They made it like the actors were before they passed and Lila was in a wheelchair at the end.

If Mac Cory and Chris Hughes had been left off the list, I and many other fans of the P&G soaps would have been outraged, so to say that Tom Horton, as much as I adored that character, and the others were far more important is just beyond ridiculous.

There was not in dry eye in our house when Mac and later Ada died on Another World. .

I haven't read the list yet. My choices are Steve Hardy, Asa Buchanon , Mac Cory , and Edward Q.

Now, I will read your list.

You're just upset with me because of the Y&R comments I've made.

But for the record, okay.

Beautiful, timely, thank you. Would love to see more tributes for those who didn't make this list.

Thank You Jamey for sticking up for our Guiding Light...It was one of the best soaps and even thou it is no longer on the air doesn't mean it isn't missed...I watch all 4 soaps that are on the air now but none of them compare to Guiding Light...I don't mean to offend Yoryla but you were wrong to say that...

What do you think the secret is?

I don't think the ending was over the top. I think that was the saddest yet happiest part of today's episode. It made me think as if Lila had been in limbo waiting for the love of her life and was now able to go to heaven with him. And if you noticed, Lila got up from the wheelchair and started walking up the stairs with Edward so I dont think she's taking the wheelchair with her to heaven.

Thats a good list. I dont remember most of those names as I was too young or not watching certain soaps,like ATWT. I was curious about one thing. It was mentioned that John Beradino was a pro baseball player. Can anyone give me some info. about this? I'm a big baseball fan as you can see by the name, Mets 82.

Thanks for including Benjamin Hendrickson on this list. A truly exceptional actor who left us far too early. John Beradino brings back wonderful memories of sitting with my Grandma watching his Dr. Steve and Emily McLaughlin's Nurse Jessie Brewer. Sigh. And my sweet JI/Edward. I just came back from church services this evening and guess what we sang? Give you a hint. JI's voice floated through my head and a vision of pizza boxes arriving at the Q mansion popped into my minds eye. And I fuzzed up, eyes watering and said a silent thank you for everything this wonderful man brought to GH.

On that note, a blessed Thanksgiving to all who post here at DC. It may be cheesy to say, but I am thankful that I get to read your thoughts and insights about the soaps we love. Stay safe and take the time to say "I love you" with a hug and a smile for those near and dear to you...

Lila has been in heaven since 2004. Lila wouldn't be limbo. The girl doesn't need oxygen and a wheelchair. If anyone would be in limbo.....for quite sometime that would be Edward. I don't think the pearly gates would be swinging open anytime soon for him.

I liked the ending to a point. We only needed to see the back of Edward as he sang with his Q family. At this point fade to black. No need to show the back of a faux Lila that was a really bad wig worn by a 20 year old male intern. What was an emotional moment became comical and why soaps are often lampooned.

The very idea that Mac Cory isn't as important as anyone else on this list is offensive to me. Another World was a massive success for a number of years. It had two spin-offs. There was a time when it ran for 90 minutes a day. To suggest that the show doesn't have a place in history because it is not currently on the air is asinine. Neither Dynasty nor the original Dallas are running, but they're still as relevant to the genre as they ever were.

Rachel Davis Cory was one of the biggest, baddest bitches to hit daytime AND primetime. She could certainly teach these wannabes a thing or two. I thought it was hysterical when she told as much to Lila (I miss Lila Winthrop).

I absolutely agree that AW never recovered from the loss of Mac, which was then compounded by Ada's death. Also, I think the tone of Days of our Lives shifted irrevocably after Tom Horton's death. It was never the same show after that.

Thank you Jamey for including both ATWT & GL...especially "Papa Bauer" I was a young lad but remember I my grandma and mom both loved him and his accent. He was the strength of the Bauer's troubles. He loved Bert (as he called her Berta)and he pass the torch to Bert after his passing from the show.

And thank you again Jamey for your comment about "others" do still miss our soaps regardless here or in soap heaven. Just because they are gone doesn't mean those soaps didn't impress us with years of stories. I respect every show patriarchs...prime example I'm personally don't watch GH (just not my cup of tea) BUT I paid my respects and watched the episodes Edward Q's passing and I don't have the connection to GH and I was crying...GHers must went through boxes of Kleenex! We all have lost great patriarchs and matriarchs and when you've watched for decades it grabs onto soul and hurts.

Do one now of matriarchs! We have lost so many the last 5 years.

I understand when you say "far more important" you are speaking to your own opinion. But you are right, there is a reason why some shows are gone and other are still here, and that reason has nothing to do with the relative importance of the families and characters that were on the show to its fans. Guiding Light, in my opinion, should never be thrown aside just because it is no longer on the air. GL was a pioneer show. It transitioned from radio to TV. It was the longest drama on air (I think I got that stat right). The characters on that show were just as beloved by its fans as are the ones on Y&R, DAYS, GH, and B&B.

Where's Larry Gates (H.B Lewis)?

Where's Larry Gates (H.B Lewis)?

Wonderful list Jamey. Thank you.