Here is the TV Radio Mirror piece, that bears athe spooky title: “The Widow Who Never Married.” It was written before Mom met Dad, when she was a “honey-blonde southern belle…a single girl in New York City.” It’s surreal to learn new bits about my mother’s life from soap digest reporters and spot mementos from my own in photos from the pages of old magazines: Mom had a miniature schnauzer named Chuck; in a photo, she holds a damaged portrait that hangs in my studio.

I’m thankful for all these little reminders that my mother lives on – in my and my siblings’ hearts and minds, in the pages of magazines, and in the ether.

So, Happy Birthday, Mom. We are thinking of you, today and always.

“I originally got this book randomly in my high school library because I had to do an oral presentation on a non-fiction book. This was before Christmas break. I had only read the first 20 pages or so up until a couple weeks ago.”

“Twenty two days ago my daddy passed away. A random heart problem while he was jogging. I am still dealing with how much I really miss him. For the first week, going through with the viewing, funeral, and burial, all I could feel was self-pity, and pity for my little brother and sister, who are only 7 and 8. My little brother Brady is autistic but so incredibly clever like Dad was. Anyway, I kept thinking how unfair it was, that at only 15 I hady father taken away from me.

Then I continued to read this book. This book made me realize that I’m not the only one who has gone through things like this and now I’m certainly lucky to still have my siblings and my mother. You guys are so tough. I wish I could be as tough as you.”

Dear Amanda, Liz, Diana and Dan,

My name is Lee Godart and I played opposite your Mother on the Edge of Night. I stumbled onto your site while looking at some videos, and it stirred a flood of memories and feelings. Your Mother was a wonderful actress who raised the level of everyone she worked with – I know she raised mine, and I consider myself a better actor for having worked with her; not only was her technique impeccable, it was also effortless, and to round it off, she had what is known in the business as a “nature,” a largesse of emotion and personality that turned her into a gale force, a beautiful gale force, magnificent to watch, and thrilling to act with — and gorgeous! She spoiled me.

But what made Ann really special was a generosity of spirit that enveloped you and made life seem brighter.  EON was my first show in the US, first taste of the city, those early morning calls! Once I overslept, arrived at the studio at eleven, to find  Ann with laryngitis.  Somehow, we managed to get through the scene.  It’s hilarious to watch now, but I never wanted to disappoint her again.

You know, sometimes the years give a different flavour to people and events, but I know that I was happy then. I loved Ann unashamedly, and although it was nothing more than a friendship,  on my side at least it was deep, and her death was a disruptive phase in my life. It pains me enormously not to be able to talk to her now, to be in her presence, and to know that I will never be again, and to wonder if I could have been a stronger person.

You may not remember, but I met each of you, I was out at your house a few times, and even have a slide picture I had taken, that I will transfer and send to you. I’m so very happy that you have all made it through what must have been unthinkable pain, and that your lives seem good now. Somehow, writing to her children feels like touching her again, and I am grateful for the opportunity to say these things to you that I cannot say to her.  There are so many memories, but I had to send this to you tonight.

Love, and many blessings,

Lee

Here is his email, in full, reprinted with his permission, of course.

To: Amanda, Liz, Diana, and Dan

Subject: The Unexpected Chilean Student

I don’t  know how to start writing these lines after 28 years, but I couldn’t help it after reading your book, “The Kids are All Right.”

I’ve got the best memories about the time I spent living with you at the gray house, as you called it, and many times I wondered about you and your different lives.
I remember your mother as a beautiful, nice lady, and I boasted telling stories to my friends about how lucky I was to have met this famous celebrity and her wonderful family.

After reading the book and realizing how difficult things were at that moment, I thank you all very much, and specially Amanda and Liz, for your generosity in receiving me and making possible that those 8 weeks were one of the best times I have had in my life!
I have so many good memories that I would like to share with you but, that would take a very long e-mail. Tomorrow is my 45th birthday and …how could I not recall the fantastic surprise party you threw me (so well described in the book), likely to be my best birthday celebration ever!

I hope Dan remembers me as he was very young at that time, but I am almost sure Diana doesn’t , I am enclosing this photo with her reading the book that your aunt gave your father for his birthday, she was such a sweet little girl, who did give me her teddy bear the day I left, which decorated my room for many years until I got married.

Hope to hear from you,

Best Regards,

Andres

It was amazing to hear from Andres, and we wrote him back immediately. Hopefully, he’ll share more memories with us!

It is amazing, really, to have a mother who was so beloved by so many people, not as our mother but as her characters.  The soap community remembers her so fondly–friends have reached out to say how much they enjoyed the book like John Cunningham, who played Garth Slater her alcoholic husband on Loving.  Morgan Fairchild cried on Good Morning America about how much mom loved her kids. And she cried on the phone to me years ago to say how she wished she did not have to kill her on Search for Tomorrow.  Courtney Simon sent a letter to say how proud our mom would be of us for writing this story together!  And then when I wrote an ode to my mother, and the end of soap operas as we know them for the Op Ed page of the NYTimes even more people got in touch.  Including Mary Stuart’s son. She started with Search for Tomorrow back in the radio days playing Jo.…   Eunice was her sister and Mary was Dan’s Godmother.  In fact, while writing the book, we reconnected with her.  She told us about her memoir, Both of Me, about playing the same role for more than three decades!  And then, months after we met, Karen Kayser called to say, ‘your mother is in the newspaper… ‘ Mary Stuart’s obituary had a picture of mom smiling down on us, I think, as if to let us know that she is all right as well.

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