Susan Brown Dead at 86

Susan Brown, who is best known for her role as Dr. Gail Adamson Baldwin on General Hospital, died on August 31 after battling Alzheimer’s disease. She was 86.

General Hospital showrunner Frank Valentini took to Twitter to confirm her death saying, "It's a very sad day in Port Charles as the wonderful Susan Brown (“Gail Baldwin”) passed away today. My sincerest condolences to her family and to all who knew this amazing woman."

Brown was born in San Francisco and graduated from the University of Southern California. Her acting career launched in 1959 with the soap opera From The Roots, where she played Liz Fraser Allen. She went on to appear in numerous soaps including The Young Marrieds (as Ann Reynolds), Bright Promise (as Martha Ferguson), and Return to Peyton Place (as Constance MacKenzie).

She took on the role of Dr. Gail Adamson Baldwin in 1977. The character was Monica Webber's foster mother who married Lee Baldwin (played by Peter Hansen). It would only take two years before Brown received a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. She ended up leaving the General Hospital in 1985, popped up again from 1989-1990, then began recurring in 1992. She made her final appearance in 2004.

She would also appear as the character of Victoria Lane's mother, Janet, on Santa Barbara, as businesswoman Adelaide Fitzgibbons on As the World Turns and Fran Whitaker in The Young and the Restless . She scrubbed once more as Dr. Balwin in the General Hospital spin-off Port Charles. She stayed on the soap until 2004.

Kin Shriner, who played her son, Scott Baldwin, on General Hospital and Port Charles, spoke loving about his former co-star and friend on Twitter.

"Sad to say one of my best friends and costars Susan Brown passed away today she played Gail Baldwin @GeneralHospital my mother R.I.P. Susan I will miss all our laughs," he wrote, later adding, "She was funny as was Peter what a lucky ride I had with my TV Parents !"

In addition to her successful soap opera career, she appeared on Broadway, primetime TV and films. Her credits include Death Valley Days, Kojak, Marcus Welby, M.D., Barney Miller, Hotel, Beverly Hills 90210, and Frasier. She also played first First Lady Pat Nixon in the TV movie The Final Days as well as Nancy Reagan in Without Warning: the James Brady Story.

Outside of the entertainment world, Brown owned an interior design firm where she offered her decorating services to many of her soap opera peers and TV friends.

Watch Brown's final scene on General Hospital below.