‘General Hospital’ Bids Farewell to Leslie Charleson’s Character

General Hospital has finally said goodbye to Monica Quartermaine, following actress Leslie Charleson’s death.

The Thursday, Sept. 25 episode began the first of a two-part farewell to Monica, after it was announced the week prior that she died peacefully in her sleep.

During Thursday’s episode, everyone reflected on their history with Monica, including Jason (Steve Burton), Ned (Wally Kurth), and Drew (Cameron Mathison), according to TVLine.

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Others who attended the service included Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst), Laura (Genie Francis), Olivia (Lisa LoCicero), Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring) and Michael (Rory Gibson).

During the service, various people gave speeches. Ned said the house felt empty without her, while Elizabeth spoke to her patience and willingness to teach, and Laura recalled how poised Monica was both in work and life, per TVLine.

Monica’s stubborn sister-in-law, Tracy (Jane Elliot), however, was overcome with emotion and insisted she couldn’t speak during the memorial.

The two-part tribute comes eight months after General Hospital’s executive producer Frank Valentini announced Charleson’s death on the show’s official Instagram page on Jan. 12. 

Charleson began playing the role of Monica in 1977, making her the cast member who was on the show the longest. She was also a four-time Daytime Emmy nominee.

“I only signed on for two years, and I don’t know what happened,” Charleston told Digital Journal in 2019 about her time on the show. “Back then, there weren’t a lot of good female roles that had that. It was an amazing time, and it was strong material to act.”

Valentini said that Charleston had an “enduring legacy” that “has spanned nearly 50 years on General Hospital alone and, just as Monica was the heart of the Quartermaines, Leslie was a beloved matriarch of the entire cast and crew.”

“I will miss our daily chats, her quick wit and incredible presence on set,” said Valentini. “On behalf of everyone at General Hospital, my heartfelt sympathy goes out to her loved ones during this difficult time.”

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According to online records viewed by PEOPLE, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner determined that Charleson died from “sequelae of blunt head trauma,” a condition caused by a previous head injury.