A Look at Notable & Celebrity Deaths from January 2025 Week 3

Here are the most recent deaths in the national news, as reviewed and fact-checked by the Legacy.com news team in the third week of January 2025.

Francisco San Martin (1985–2025), Days of Our Lives actor

Francisco San Martin was an actor known for roles in such TV shows as “Days of Our Lives” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

Diane Delano (1957–2024), Northern Exposure actress

Diane Delano was a veteran actress best known for her roles as Barbara Semanski, the Alaskan state trooper on the quirky “Northern Exposure,” and science teacher Bobbi Glass on the teen drama “Popular.” 

Jill Jacobson (1954–2024), actress in Falcon Crest, Star Trek

Jill Jacobson was an actress known for roles in such TV shows as “Falcon Crest,” “The New Gidget,” and two versions of “Star Trek.” 

Mark Withers (1947–2024), actor in Dynasty, Stranger Things

Mark Withers was an actor best known for playing Ted Dinard in the first season of “Dynasty.” 

Wayne Northrop (1947–2024), Days of Our Lives star

Wayne Northrop was an actor best known for his performances in the soap operas “Days of Our Lives,” “Dynasty,” and “Port Charles.” 

Drake Hogestyn (1953–2024), longtime star of Days of Our Lives

Drake Hogestyn was an actor best known for his long-running role as John Black on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” 

Joan Benedict (1927–2024), longtime stage and TV veteran

Joan Benedict was an actress known for her wide-ranging TV roles, including being a regular on “The Steve Allen Show,” in “Candid Camera” skits, and appearances on soap operas like “General Hospital” and “Days of Our Lives.”

Elizabeth MacRae (1936–2024), Gomer Pyle actress 

Elizabeth MacRae was an actress best known for her performance in “Gomer Pyle, USMC” as Lou-Ann Poovie, Gomer’s girlfriend.

Marla Adams (1938–2024), longtime Young and the Restless star

Marla Adams was an actress best known for her Emmy winning-portrayal of the manipulative Dina Abbott Mergeron on daytime soap the “Young and the Restless,” a role she played on and off for five decades. 

David Seidler (1937–2024), screenwriter of The King’s Speech 

David Seidler was the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of “The King’s Speech” and the credited co-writer of the Francis Ford Coppola film “Tucker: The Man and His Dream.”

Anne Whitfield (1938–2024), actress in White Christmas

Anne Whitfield was an actress best known for playing Susan Waverly in the classic Hollywood musical, “White Christmas.”

Charles Dierkop (1936–2024), actor in The Sting, Police Woman

Charles Dierkop was an actor best known for his performances in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Sting,” and “Police Woman.” 

Lynne Marta (1945–2024), actress in Footloose, Days of Our Lives

Lynne Marta was an actress known for her performances in such movies and TV shows as “Footloose,” “Days of Our Lives,” and “Love, American Style.” 

Bill Hayes (1925–2024), Doug Williams on Days of Our Lives

Bill Hayes was a singer who scored a number one hit in 1955 with “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” then went on to play recurring character Doug Williams on the TV soap “Days of Our Lives” for over 50 years.

Tyler Christopher (1972–2023), played Nikolas on General Hospital

Tyler Christopher was an actor known for his soap opera roles, starring as Nikolas Cassadine on “General Hospital” and Stefan Di Mera on “Days of Our Lives.” 

Arleen Sorkin (1955–2023), soap star & Batman’s original Harley Quinn

Arleen Sorkin played fan favorite Calliope Jones on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” and her personality was the inspiration behind the popular Batman villain Harley Quinn; she was also the first actress to voice the role. 

Nick Benedict (1946–2023), All My Children actor 

Nick Benedict was an actor known for roles in such soap operas as “Days of Our Lives” and “All My Children.” 

Sharon Acker (1935–2023), Point Blank, Perry Mason actress

Sharon Acker was an actress known for movies and TV shows including “Point Blank” and “The New Perry Mason.”  

Quinn Redeker (1936–2022), “Days of Our Lives” star

Quinn Redeker was an actor and screenwriter known for longtime roles on “Days of Our Lives” and “The Young and the Restless.”

John Aniston (1933–2022), “Days of Our Lives” star

John Aniston was an actor who starred as Victor Kiriakis on “Days of Our Lives” for decades as well as the father of actress Jennifer Aniston.

William Lucking (1941–2021), “Sons of Anarchy” star

William Lucking was an actor known for roles including Piney Winston on the FX biker drama “Sons of Anarchy.”

Jay Pickett (1961–2021), “Port Charles,” “General Hospital” actor

Jay Pickett was an actor whose notable roles included “Port Charles” and “General Hospital.”

James Hampton (1936–2021), star of “F Troop,” “Teen Wolf”

James Hampton was an actor known for roles including the incompetent bugler Hannibal Dobbs on TV’s “F Troop.”

Kevin Dobson (1943–2020), starred in “Kojak,” “Knots Landing”

Kevin Dobson was an actor best known for his roles in “Kojak” and “Knots Landing.”

John Clarke (1931–2019), longtime “Days of Our Lives” star

John Clarke was one of the original stars of “Days of Our Lives,” joining the popular daytime soap opera when it debuted in 1965 and remaining with the show for 39 years until his retirement in 2004. Clarke played Mickey Horton, the go-to lawyer in the show’s fictional town of Salem, who rarely won a case. Clarke was honored with a Daytime Emmys Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 for his work on “Days of Our Lives.” He is the father of “The O.C.” actress Melinda Clarke.

Jed Allan (1935–2019), soap opera star

Jed Allan was an actor known for his starring roles on soap operas. He played attorney Don Craig on “Days of our Lives” for 14 years, C.C. Capwell on “Santa Barbara,” and had a recurring role as Rush Sanders, the father of Ian Ziering’s character Steve, on “Beverly Hills, 90210.”

Peggy McCay (1927 – 2018), “Days of Our Lives” star

Played Caroline Brady on the soap for over 30 years.

Joseph Campanella (1924 – 2018), prolific TV character actor

Appeared in “The Bold Ones: The Lawyers” and “Mannix”…

Heather North (1945 – 2017), the voice of Scooby-Doo’s Daphne

Heather North first entered show biz as a child in the 1950s, singing and competing in pageants. As a young adult in the 1960s, she began appearing on television in shows like “My Three Sons,” “Gidget,” and “The Monkees.” She co-starred alongside Kurt Russell — and a chimpanzee — in the 1971 Disney movie “The Barefoot Executive.” But what most fans will affectionately remember her for is her thirty-year stint on "Scooby-Doo," performing the voice of danger-prone Daphne Blake.

Brad Bufanda (1983 – 2017), actor remembered for role in “Veronica Mars”

Brad Bufanda, an actor who had a supporting role in “Veronica Mars,” died in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, according to multiple news sources. Suicide has been reported as the cause of death. He was 34.

Joseph Mascolo (1929 - 2016), iconic Days of Our Lives star

Joseph Mascolo, an actor who was known best for portraying the villainous Stefano DiMera on the daytime soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016, according to Soap Opera Digest. Mascolo, who had Alzheimer’s disease, was 87.

Patricia Barry (1922 - 2016), soap opera star

The veteran soap opera actress appeared on “Days of Our Lives,” “All My Children,” and “Guiding Light.”