‘General Hospital’ airs emotional tribute to late star Jay Pickett ahead of funeral

At the end of Tuesday’s episode of “General Hospital,” ABC’s iconic soap opera paid an emotional tribute to late cast member Jay Pickett.

Pickett, a Spokane, Washington native, died at age 60 while shooting the film “Treasure Valley” on July 30.

At the end of the latest episode of the soap, “In Loving Memory of Jay Pickett” was displayed across the screen along with a photo of the beloved actor, Deadline reported.

The actor, who played multiple characters on various soap operas such as “Days of Our Lives” and “Port Charles,” suffered from an apparent heart attack last month. Pickett was known on “General Hospital” as Detective David Harper and played the role from 2006 to 2008.

On Aug. 20, a celebration of Pickett’s life will be held at the Nampa Civic Center in Nampa, Idaho. “General Hospital” fans can tune into a livestream of the service on the Nampa Funeral Home website starting at 4:45 p.m. EST, according to Deadline.

Jay Pickett
“General Hospital” paid tribute to former actor on the show, Jay Pickett.
Disney General Entertainment Con

Pickett was not only starring in “Treasure Valley,” but he also wrote the screenplay and was producing the film, according to USA Today, and it was one of many cowboy-themed projects he worked on.

The official “Treasure Valley” Facebook page posted the news two weeks ago, writing, “He was doing what he loved: acting, riding horses, making movies. And he was magnificent.”

Despite being born in Washington, Pickett spent most of his life in Idaho, attending Treasure Valley Community College, where he met his wife, and later studied theater arts at Boise State University. He earned his master’s degree at the University of California Los Angeles.

He broke into daytime soap operas in 1991, starring in “Days of Our Lives” as Dr. Chip Lakin from 1991 to 1992. In addition, he also appeared in “Port Charles” as paramedic Frank Scanlon.

Co-stars and friends from all points in his daytime drama career flooded social media with condolences.

Kin Shriner, who met Pickett through “General Hospital,” tweeted, “The sudden passing of my pal Jay Pickett Is very sad. He loved acting and Westerns, and when we got together we laughed a lot.”

“Port Charles” actress Marie Wilson took to Instagram to share her sadness of his passing, writing, “Words cannot describe how much you touched my life…your friendship, advice, and support made me feel so grateful and lucky.”

Pickett is survived by his wife, Elena, and their three children.

source: nypost.com