Monday, June 15, 2015

'As the World Turns' Alum John Colenback Dead at 79

Actor John Colenback has died. He was 79.

Colenback, who starred as Dr. Dan Stewart on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns from 1966-73 and again from 1976-79, died May 12 in West Hollywood of complications from the pulmonary disease COPD.

On As the World Turns, Dan was involved in two of the show's most memorable love quandrangles, the Paul/Liz/Dan/Susan story of the late 1960s/early 1970s and the John/Kim/Dan/Susan story of the mid-1970s. Dan sired two daughters, Betsy and Emily, both of whom named their children after him. Dan died of a terminal illness in September 1979.

A native of Toledo, Ohio, who attended Dartmouth College, Colenback was acting in summer stock at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pa., when he was discovered by an agent.

He was brought to New York and made his Broadway debut in 1961 as the attendant to Spanish ambassador Signor Chapuys in the original Broadway production of "A Man for All Seasons."

As the World Turns stars Kathryn Hays (Kim) and
John Colenback (Dan) in 1978.
Colenback also had a featured role as Alan Armitage in the original 1967 Broadway production of "After the Rain," and he appeared off-Broadway in "Twelfth Night," "A Scent of Flowers" and "Four Friends."

He also starred in regional productions of "The Importance of Being Earnest," "The Halloween Bandit," "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," "As You Like It" and "The Chinese Well" and toured nationally in "The Irregular Verb" to Love.

Colenback also played roles on daytime dramas From These Roots and Capitol, and guest-starred on such TV shows as Hart to Hart, The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, Berrenger's and Falcon Crest.

He served as a newscaster, spokesman and actor for the RCA Color Central Exposition at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. In 1980, Colenback moved to Hollywood and worked as a chef for the catering company Along Came Mary.

He is survived by his brother Lloyd J. Colenback Jr.; and nieces and nephews Judith Colenback Savage, Timothy Lloyd Colenback, Girard Mosby Colenback, Richard Breed III, Amalia H. Breed, John W. Colenback and Jared S. Colenback.

3 comments:

  1. Rest In Peace, Wonderful John Colenback!

    Brian :-|

    ReplyDelete
  2. He was, perhaps, my favorite actor back in those days. Then, after ATWT, he virtually dropped from sight. I am sad.

    ReplyDelete